The Life After
by imitateslife
Summary: Three years after the Lowardian Invasion, Drakken has carved a niche for himself in the scientific community. But when his new position as a professor at Go City University puts him in close quarters with Shego for the first time since going their separate ways, Drakken begins to wonder just what he's missed on his quest for renown. Drakken/Shego.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I do not own any of the recognizable characters, locations, items, or devices featured in this story. I am just a fan; always have been, always will be. Please, enjoy!

* * *

The cacophony of Go City hit Dr. Drakken's ears the instant he stepped out of automatic doors of the Go City International Airport. Car horns blared as families reunited in the road and lone travelers hailed passing taxicabs. A smile spread across his face as he soaked it all in. It had been three years since he last set foot in America. There were days he was almost able to convince himself that he didn't miss it. But now, immersed in familiarity, there was no denying that there was something in the abrasive swearing chorused out by harried travelers, something in the smell of street vendors' day-old hot-dogs, that just couldn't be found in Geneva. Oh, sure. The Swiss had their chocolate and their watches, but their cute cottages and centuries-old buildings were quaint, not striking. He shut his eyes for a moment, grin still plastered on his face, and lost himself into the sound—

"Hey, buddy, you need a taxi or something?"

Drakken opened his eyes to see a short man in a grey uniform looking at him. He held a stack of yellow tickets and wore an expression that was anything but friendly.

"'Cause if you don't, you better get a move on," the man said. "You're holding up the line."

"Erm. Right. Yes."

Drakken took one of the yellow tickets and was paired up with a taxi to take him uptown to his new apartment. The taxi smelled like leather and sweat. Drakken opened the window and the wind blew through his hair. He inhaled and exhaled deeply. Then, he realized the cab driver was staring at him through the rearview mirror.

"What?" he snapped.

The man driving started at Drakken's tone. Then, he said, "I know you. You are Doctor Drakken, yes?"

"Yes. Who are you? I don't know you."

"Oh, no. You would not. I am just an admirer." The man smiled. "I was engineer in my country. Your hydro-hovercrafts are inspiration!"

"Thank you. You know, I designed my first prototype for them in college. My so-called friends laughed then, but after just a few tweaks—_Vrroom! _There was no stopping my first working hovercraft…! Which was a bit problematic, since the brake system proved rather tricky…"

The cabbie's smile faltered in the mirror, but if Drakken noticed, he didn't care. He continued on about the hovercrafts for a few solid minutes before sighing.

"But of course," he said conspiratorially. "I _did_ keep the best version for myself. A man has to have his priorities straight. Fame and fortune are all well and good, but there's just something… something… " Drakken threw his hands in the air emphatically, at a loss for words. "…about having something that's truly one-of-a-kind."

"Yes," said the cabbie. "I know exactly—"

"If you wouldn't mind zipping it?" Drakken said. "I want to enjoy the city for a minute."

He looked out the window as they crossed over the river. Leisure boats skipped across the greenish waves and pigeons (or were they gulls? Drakken never could tell…) flew over the bridge. He was going to like it here. On Monday, he would start teaching his first science course. Not that he needed the income or the benefits. Drakken had made quite a chunk of change over the last few years, selling his inventions for the betterment of mankind. Like he'd said, he kept the best stuff for himself, but there was no harm in making the planet a bit more eco-friendly, since he'd worked so hard to save it from destruction. Go City University had given him a research grant to continue perfecting his pro-planet patents. It sounded like a pretty sweet deal.

Until you realized that Drakken didn't have any new patents to perfect. He slumped against the window. The shadow of Go Tower crossed over the cab. He would think of something. He _had_ to. Drakken looked up at the white marble tower, which climbed high up into the clouds. He sighed.

"The Tower is work of art, no?" the cabbie said. "The whole city is named for the Go family. They were into the saving the world business long before you were, Doctor."

"Oh, shut it," Drakken said, sitting upright.

"They are an inspiration," the man continued. "Was not the woman your assistant once?"

Drakken felt a vine crawl up the side of his neck. He had to remind it not to strangle the cab driver.

Out loud.

The driver met his gaze in the rearview mirror. The cabbie was exceptionally pale now and a single bead of sweat trickled down his pronounced brow. The vine retracted back into Drakken's neck.

"Shego was my partner once, yes," he said. Then, casting a glance back at the Tower, he bit his lip. "I wonder what she's doing now…"

* * *

This was crap. Absolute hooey. Shego crouched between the branches of the oak tree. For the last ten minutes, she had not moved. Her muscles ached. For the fiftieth time this week, she reminded herself that this was just a job and that she had done so many more degrading things in the last several years. One particular instance in which she was forced to sell ice creams to spring-breakers jumped to mind. She scowled. That was a different life, a different time. A time when she'd sworn off heroics in favor for excitement.

That Shego would never be caught dead scampering up a tree to chase a cat.

"Come on, Whiskers," she muttered. "Come to Auntie Shego."

The orange tabby licked its right paw. It looked up as it did, and if Shego didn't know better, she would have sworn it was smirking at her. This wouldn't have been half as frustrating if she didn't have a meeting across town in ten minutes. She growled under her breath.

The sound caught the cat's ears and it put its paw down. Then, after stretching, it pranced over to the thinnest part of the branch, still just out of reach. Shego inched forward. Her suit snagged on the bark. She tugged. The movement pulled the fabric free, but shook the branch just hard enough that the thin part snapped in two. Shego and Whiskers tumbled to the ground. And while the cat landed on all fours, Shego landed, unceremoniously crouched a foot away and covered in leaves. She looked up to see the cat's owner looking at her through thick bifocals.

"You could have killed him!" the woman scolded. "What were you thinking?"

"Jeez, lady," Shego said, standing up and dusting herself off. "You told me to get the cat down. You didn't tell me _how_ to do it. So I improvised. Got a problem with it, fill out a complaint to City Hall. Capisce?"

"Oh, believe me. I will," said the woman. "Oh, none of your brothers ever give me this kind of trouble. What would they say if they knew how… how… _lippy_ you can be?"

"Believe me, they know," Shego said. She rolled her eyes, but the word 'lippy' snagged on her heart like jumpsuit on a tree. "I'd love to stick around for a lecture, but… places to go, people to see. All that jazz."

And on that note, Shego jumped into her red convertible parked next to the green-zone. Stuck below the windshield wipers was a little, pink slip. Shego cursed under her breath and sped off. The parking ticket flew into the air and landed somewhere in the road. She was going to be late for her meeting with the temp agency. Again. Every time they had a job for her, Team Go found some menial thing for her to do on the other side of the city. When she first agreed to work with her brothers again, Shego had hoped that it would keep her busy and in the law's good graces, all while giving her a slice of the action. As if. And if the agency didn't find her a better day job, Shego just might reconsider a life of villainy just to spite her brothers. She pulled up to the temp agency and rushed inside, still in full crime-fighting regalia. She tapped her fingers against the counter.

"Hey. I'm here for an appointment with Barbara Hoffman."

The secretary looked up and snickered. Her eyes zeroed in on Shego's stomach. Shego looked down and saw that her suit had ripped just above her navel.

"Take a picture," she growled, leaning against the counter to put her bared skin out of view. "It'll last longer."

"Right," the secretary said, looking at her computer screen. "You're late, Miss Go."

"Gee, I had no idea."

"Mrs. Hoffman has other clients."

Shego growled and reached across the table. She picked the secretary up by the scruff of her turtleneck and pulled her close. Shego raised her free hand and it ignited into a green glow.

"Tell Mrs. Hoffman to clear her calendar," Shego whispered. "Or so help me—"

The secretary gulped. "You know what? Just go on in, Miss Go."

Shego set the secretary down and walked into Mrs. Hoffman' office. She'd been there a dozen times in the last three years. Her memories of the place weren't overly fond. There were new pictures of Hoffman' kids, but otherwise, everything was still decorated in a sickening shade of lavender. Shego shuddered and took a seat. Mrs. Hoffman was on the phone.

"Right," she said. "Well, a client's just walked in. … Qualified? Oh… Um…"

Shego pulled a nail file from the pouch on the leg of her suit. She started on her nails, all the while pretending to ignore Hoffman.

"Well, it's… difficult to say. I'll have to ask her. Can I call you back in fifteen? Great. Thanks, Bobby."

Hoffman put the phone down. Shego blew on her nails.

"Another substitute teaching gig?" she asked without looking up.

"Oh, no," Hoffman said firmly. "Not for you. Not after that stunt you pulled in Lowerton."

Shego grinned. "Hey. Those kids shouldn't have been on their cell phones while I was talking. I told them I had a no cellphone policy."

"They were nine!"

"Who gives nine year olds cell phones anyways?" Shego rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. She'd substituted for a pregnant math teacher at Lowerton Elementary School for all of three days before complaints started flooding in. She'd crushed about twelve cellphones by that time. Before that, she'd been asked never to return to Middleton ISD. Apparently, the exercise regimens she subjected the cheerleading squad to were "unethical". Whatever that meant. "So, what do you got for me?"

Hoffman sighed. "It's not 'for you'. GCU is looking for a qualified research assistant."

"That's me to a T, Hoffman," Shego said. "I'm probably _over-_qualified."

"Shego," Hoffman said, lowering her voice. "Your degree is in child development, remember?"

Shego scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. But teaching was never really my _calling_, y'know? I _was_ a research assistant. For ages. I was the _queen_ of research assistants."

"This is legitimate science, not mad science," Hoffman said, even more quietly than before. "I really, _really_ don't think this is a good idea—"

"Look. I'm desperate to get out of the Tower for a bit," Shego said seriously. "I'll kill someone if I stick around there much longer. If it's a job you think I can do—whatever it is—it's a better idea than sticking me in the hero biz. Am I qualified or what?"

Hoffman took a deep breath. "You know you can't be in a classroom any more. You've ticked off every school district within twenty miles."

"So? It's a university job. As a research assistant. It's not like I'll be teaching the classes. Professor What's-It will. And I'll just… you know… weld things and make copies." Shego flashed Hoffman a smile. "Come on. What's the worst that could happen?"

Hoffman exhaled. "This is your last chance, Shego. I'm serious this time. If you blast anyone with your laser hands, karate-chop any more property, or even steal office supplies, I'll see to it you never work in this city again. Am I clear?"

"Crystal. When do I start?"

* * *

A/N: Many thanks to my friend, Eunice, for looking this over and giving me the confidence to jump into the KP-verse! Also, thank you to Blackfire 18 for catching my awkward phrase "crouched and unceremoniously" and inspiring me to fix it. It's all better!

Reviews are much appreciated! I'd also gladly take title suggestions, as this is currently a working title.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Again, I own nothing in this story except the plot. All characters belong to Disney's "Kim Possible". I'd like to again thank my beta reader, Eunice, for her input and her willingness to talk fanfiction over cupcakes.

* * *

Drakken stood at the front of the lecture hall. _His_ lecture hall. There had been times during his career in evil when Drakken wanted nothing more than a captive audience. It was empty now, but he could fit a hundred and fifty young minds into this hall. Each one would be eager to hear him speak. A tingle jolted up his spine and _pop! _Yellow petals sprouted around his face, ruining the moment. Drakken scowled as he tore the petals off. Over the last few years, he'd been trying to get his "plant powers" under control. Dozens of renowned botanists and biologists had offered to study him. But Dr. Drakken was nobody's lab rat. He occasionally ran tests on himself, however. Thus far, he had no conclusive data.

Maybe he would just research himself with the grant money.

Drakken sighed and placed a large, UPS box on the table at the front of the room. Inside were textbooks to pass out to the students. Not that they'd be of particular use. Drakken was teaching "Ethics, Science, and You". It was a waste of his talent, but GCU offered him better money than private research facilities had. And there was a dental plan. Drakken tried to rip the tape off of the box to open it.

But the box stayed stuck shut.

Drakken growled and gave it a harder tug. No luck. He pulled off his gloves, rolled up his labcoat sleeves, and gave one last pull. The box flew towards Drakken and hit him in the gut. He fell to the floor with a thud and a bunch of mumbled complaints.

"Gee, Doc," a voice called from the doorway. "It's a wonder you've been tying your own shoes these last three years."

Drakken looked towards the door. A pair of black, high-heeled shoes greeted him. His eyes trailed up pale legs, a pencil skirt, and a buttoned down shirt before meeting a very familiar face. Drakken's mouth fell open, hanging to the side a little. Then he grinned. Somehow, Shego had come back to him.

A flowered vine poked out of Drakken's collar.

Suddenly Drakken remembered _why_ this wasn't a reunion worth celebrating. The last time they'd spoken had been in Geneva and that had been a disaster. He closed his mouth quickly and pushed the box off of his lap.

"I've tied my own shoes for most of my life, thank you," he said, scrambling to his feet. "What are you doing in my classroom?"

"Just the usual," said Shego. "Arson, robbery, and jay-walking What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Shego! You can't say that! If Global Justice even heard you make that joke—"

"No, you really haven't changed a bit." Shego walked into the room. "No small talk. No "How've you been?" Pity."

"Oh, as if you're the Queen of Conversation!" Drakken said, folding his arms. "You walk in here like you own the place, full of sarcasm and sass and… and…!"

Drakken ran a hand through his hair and crouched down over the box. Same old Shego. Typical. She was probably here to make fun of his newfound lifestyle. She'd probably throw in a few more snide comments before scampering back to whatever villain was paying her to do their dirty work. He hoped she wasn't working for Dementor. That would have been a shot to the heart. He tugged on the cardboard. A Shego-shaped shadow draped over him.

"Need a hand?" she asked.

"I've got it," Drakken snapped. "Don't you have more 'exciting' things to do than hang around with me? Some laser cannons to steal and teen heroes to fight?"

Shego sighed. "Wish I did, boss."

"Then why don't you go back to your new employer and tell him—" Drakken stopped. He looked up at Shego. "What did you call me?"

"Don't act like you didn't hear me," said Shego. "Now, do you need me to open that box?"

Drakken stood up all the way and stared at Shego. She'd just called him boss. Three years ago, she swore she would never call him that again. After the Lowardian Invasion, after Drakken accepted grant money from legitimate scientific facilities, Shego promised that she wouldn't answer to him anymore. _'Give me one good reason to stay,'_ she'd told him before walking out of his apartment near the Microcosm Gardens. And now she was here, staring at him with the same irritated—but relatively compliant—gaze she used to. Drakken's shoulders sagged.

"Be my guest," he said, gesturing back at the box.

Shego raised her left hand and it ignited into green plasma. She raked a single finger along the center of the box and it fell open. Drakken cringed. Once upon a time, he'd been used to those hands. Now, he wondered what would keep Shego from blasting him into next Thursday, since she was no longer under their old contract. He had a few scars from plasma burns she'd given him over the years. He didn't want any more.

"Voila," Shego said. "One box of books, opened and ready to go."

"So you really are my new research assistant?"

"Doy." Shego picked up the box and slammed it onto the table top. "Look, I'm just as unhappy about it as you are. Just deal with it."

"I didn't say I was unhappy," Drakken protested.

Shego didn't acknowledge him. Instead she pulled books out of the box.

"Is this a science class or a philosophy class?" she asked, holding one of the books up.

"I asked the dean the same question," Drakken said. He came to stand beside her and he looked at the cover of the book over her shoulder. It was grey with teal lettering in a too-bold font. Drakken had read the text once, since he hadn't gotten to choose the class literature. "He said that the ethical quandaries I'd faced in my work would likely plague many of my students in the future."

"Say that in English."

Drakken shrugged. He wished he could. He guessed it was a polite way of saying that his students would be faced with the choice between legitimate science and mad science upon graduation. As if the science world was so cut and dry. Shego didn't say anything. It was the first awkward silence Drakken could ever remember having with Shego. He watched her from his periphery until she turned to look at him.

"What?" she snapped.

Drakken wanted to say it was good to see her. Instead he blinked and looked at the empty desks.

"Nothing," he said. "I was just thinking how… ironic it is that you're working for me again."

"Two things," Shego said. "One: I'm working for the University, not you. I'm assisting you, but you don't have the power to pay me, fire me, clone me, whatever. And two: since when do you know the meaning of the word 'ironic'?"

"A man can learn some things in three years, Shego," Drakken said, now uncertain if he actually had used the word "ironic" properly.

"Whatever. As long as we're clear on the first part," Shego said. "I'm your assistant, now. Not your sidekick. I'm on university payroll, just like you. The only place I answer to you is in the lab. Got it?"

"And the classroom," said Drakken. "This is my classroom. Everyone in it answers to me, assistant or not."

"Oh, really? What about the dean? Or the president of the university?"

"Gah! Details."

Shego smirked. Drakken stomped over to the white board in the front of the classroom. He picked up a dry erase marker.

"Doctor D, don't—"

"I suppose I should start by letting everyone know whose classroom this is," Drakken said, uncapping the marker.

"Doc, I wouldn't—"

"Shego, please, I'm working."

"Drakken!"

Drakken wrote his name on the board in lopsided hand. He took a step back to admire what he'd written. "Dr. Drakken, PhD." It was finally a true statement, too, since a half a dozen universities had offered him honorary doctorates after the whole 'saving the world incident'. He smiled. Shego walked over to the board and ran a single, gloved hand across the writing. It didn't smudge. Drakken chuckled.

"Joke's on you, Doctor Doofus," Shego said, crossing her arms and leaning against the board. "You just wrote on a smart board. That's never coming off. You're gonna have to pay the university to get a new one."

Drakken gasped and rushed over to the board. He tried to scrub it off with his fingers, but to no avail. Shego laughed.

"Yep. Some things never change," she said. She pulled out her nail file and set to work. Drakken's vine darted over and snatched the nail file away. It held the nail file high above Shego's head.

"Hey!" Shego glowered at Drakken. "I was using that!"

"Hey yourself," said Drakken. "Why don't you make yourself useful and get me some paper towel and all-purpose cleaner."

"I'm not buying you cleaning supplies—"

"I didn't ask you to—"

"And I can't _steal_ you cleaning supplies, either," Shego said. "Remember?"

"Argh! Just—In the lab, under the sink. Room 212. Paper towels. Cleaner."

Shego grinned. "What's the magic word?"

"Shego!"

"Close enough," Shego said, walking out of the room.

Drakken watched her go. She moved at a languid pace—probably just to infuriate him. In the skirt and heels, though, her muscles were even more evident than they had been in her jumpsuit. Drakken watched their rhythmic movements and his lips turned up into a half smile. _Pop!_ Yellow petals sprouted around his face for the second time that morning. Drakken's vine dropped the nail file and yanked the flower petals off.

He really would have to get that under control if he was working with Shego. His flower powers had always been prime mocking territory. He would have to get a lot of things under control around Shego, if he didn't want to be mocked. Drakken went back to scrubbing the board vigorously. Shego's teasing had always been a part of their relationship. From day one, the routine had always been the same. Drakken would come up with a genius plan; Shego would mock it. The plan would fail and then she would mock _him_. And as villains, the formula had worked. It got tedious towards the end. And now that Drakken was a world-renown scientist, it was infuriating. It was like Shego was the only person who hadn't gotten the memo that he was a man worthy of respect. The mocking had always hurt. Somehow it hurt worse now that they were no longer mad scientist and sidekick. Drakken broke the box down and leaned it against the wall. Students began to trickle in. Drakken instructed them all to take a textbook and a seat before busying himself at the podium. There were dozens of buttons; one was bound to call his PowerPoint to the front of the room. But try as he might, Drakken only managed to lower the window shades, turn on the classroom sound system, and quickly turn it off again when it blasted classical music from the last class loudly enough to hurt his ears.

"Y'know, KP," he heard a vaguely familiar voice say when his ears stopped ringing. "I always wondered who this Professor TBA was. Whenever they're slated to teach, they never actually show up. What gives?"

"It's 'To Be Announced'," an even more familiar voice said. "That means they don't know whose teaching it ahead of time. What I don't get is why the university would wait until the day of class to announce the professor…"

Drakken's pulse quickened. He turned to face the smart board and began rubbing his name even harder. He had to erase it and sneak out before Kim Possible saw him. Maybe he'd run by Room 212 and grab Shego. His hovercraft was waiting on top of the employee parking garage. They could just slip out the back and—

"And what _I _don't get," a third voice chimed in. "Is why the two of you have to walk us to class."

"Yeah," hissed a fourth. "It's embarrassing! We're grown men."

"So not," Kim Possible said. "Not after the stunt you two pulled at your graduation. If my internship didn't start tomorrow, I'd be on tweeb-sitting duty for the rest of the school year."

"I still can't believe that your parents contacted us through the website for this one," the buffoon said as the four of them walked in.

"Well, it _is_ kind of like a mission," said Kim Possible. "The tweebs are as dangerous as any mad scientist—"

Drakken couldn't help but to take offense at that. He stopped rubbing the board and turned around. The buffoon pointed and shrieked.

"Dr. Drakken?!" Kim Possible gasped. "No—"

"Always the tone of surprise," Drakken said waspishly. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question," said Kim Possible, crossing her arms.

"I am a professor here, Kim Possible," Drakken said. He turned back to the podium and plucked up a manila folder. He opened it to look at his roster. A smirk spread across his lips. "You aren't enrolled, so you have no business here."

"I do _too_ have business here!" Kim Possible said. "I had to walk my little brothers to class!"

Drakken looked up. He'd seen Kim Possible's younger brothers a handful of times, but it had been several years. They looked like clones of their father, except for twin sets of bluish-green eyes. They didn't look too happy about Kim Possible being there, either. Drakken pursed his lips and checked his roster again. How had he not noticed the name 'Possible' listed twice? Frowning, Drakken looked back at the four people staring at him.

" 'Little brothers'?" Shego called from the doorway. Everyone turned to look at her. She had a bottle of Windex in one hand and a roll of paper towels in the other. "And I thought _my_ family was patronizing."

She walked into the room, followed incidentally by the rest of the class. When standing about a foot away from Drakken, she tossed him the Windex and paper towels, which he fumbled with.

"Here ya go, Doc," she said, turning toward the door. "Have fun."

"Shego!" at least three separate voices called out. She turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"You can't _leave_!" said Drakken. "Class hasn't even started!"

"What are you doing here?" Kim Possible asked. "You're not going anywhere until I get an explanation…"

The buffoon said nothing, even though he'd called out Shego's name. Instead, he seemed torn between covering his face and adopting a defensive stance. Shego laughed.

"Hate to break it to you, Princess," Shego said, sneering. "But I don't owe you an explanation."

"You can't go, Shego," Drakken insisted. "You just got here."

"Hey, I only have to be here as long as you need me," said Shego. "Don't tell me you can't handle a couple of adolescent geeks."

Drakken looked out over the lecture hall. Twenty or so students watched them interestedly. One was even taking notes.

"Cut that out!" Drakken snapped at the kid who was writing. Then, he walked to Shego and lowered his voice to a quiet whine. "I can handle them. I _can_. I just thought… I mean, you're my assistant!"

"_Research_ assistant," she said. "Not _teaching_ assistant. I don't have to stick around for class. Why don't you give me a buzz when you're in the lab?"

"As if I could," Drakken grumbled. "How am I supposed to get a hold of you?"

"With a phone," Shego said slowly. "You _do_ have a phone?"

"Listen to that. 'With a phone'. Of course I have a phone!"

"So, call me when you need me. It's not that hard," Shego said. "My number hasn't changed."

"A likely story!" Drakken said. "You used to change your number every couple weeks! When we were villains—"

Shego cut him off by reaching into the breast pocket of Drakken's lab coat. She pulled out his phone and began punching numbers in furiously. Her scowl softened for a moment and she looked up.

"You kept my number?" she asked quietly.

"No—Of course I did… not…?" Drakken struggled for words. His ears flushed purple when he snatched his phone back. "Yes. I did. Happy?"

"Are you two done yet?" Kim Possible asked.

Drakken and Shego faced her. The twins had taken their seats among the other students. Now, Kim Possible and the Buffoon remained, staring.

"I don't know what's going on," Kim Possible confessed. "But I plan to find out. If either of you puts one toe out of line, believe me, I'll know." She turned to her sidekick. "C'mon, Ron. Let's go."

The Buffoon waved to Kim Possible's brothers before following her out of the classroom. Shego, too, turned to leave.

"Where are you going now?" Drakken called after her.

"Doesn't matter," Shego said without looking back. "You've got a class to teach. Text me when you're in the lab or something."

Drakken stared after her until the door shut. Then, clearing his throat, he saw his students staring at him, dumbfounded. He went to the smart board and sprayed some Windex on his name. It went a little runny and he was able to wipe most of it up with paper towel.

"I'm Doctor Drakken," he said for those who hadn't seen his name while it had been on the board. "Perhaps you've heard of my work? Mad scientist extraordinaire, savior of the world, and inventor of the modern, personal hovercraft? Ring any bells?"

To his satisfaction, there were a few eager nods. Fewer than he would have liked, but those who nodded seemed rather enthusiastic. Drakken grinned.

"If you haven't heard of me, then this might not be the class for you. This is "Ethics, Science, and You". Today we begin our discussion with 'What is Mad Science?'"

He picked up the dry erase marker and wrote 'What is Mad Science' on the smart board.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the recognizable characters or properties in this story. Drakken, Shego, and any other characters mentioned belong to Disney. I am not earning any money from this story.

* * *

The laboratory was nothing like Drakken was used to. Frankly, it was disappointing. The workbench was made of a shiny, black slate. The fume hood made a strange growling noise when on. The sink was tiny. The university promised any chemicals or supplies Drakken could need, but from just looking around, Drakken couldn't help but think GCU couldn't deliver that promise. His chest caved as he sat down at the lab table and he spread a roll of empty blueprint paper out on the table.

He'd texted Shego twenty minutes ago when class ended. And—no surprise—she didn't text him back. When she'd been his sidekick, she never answered his texts or calls. But this time, Drakken couldn't figure out _why_. Other than breathing the same, smoggy, city air as her, he hadn't done anything _wrong_. Maybe that was enough for her. Drakken rested his chin on his hands and shut his eyes. It really had been good to see Shego, whatever she thought of him.

He should have ordered her not to leave when he had the chance. Not that he'd ever had particular success ordering her around. It would have been worth a try.

"Sleeping on the job?"

Drakken's eyes shot open and he turned to face Shego. Unlike this morning, she was clad in a familiar green and black jumpsuit. He smiled at her. Then, scowling, said, "It's about time you showed up. You didn't answer my text."

"I got tied up. So sue me." Shego shrugged.

"University policy is very clear about this," said Drakken. "There's a three-strike policy. Consider this strike one, Shego."

He turned to face his blank blueprint paper. He could still feel Shego staring.

"That policy is for students," Shego said. She came to stand behind him, making Drakken's shoulders tense up more. "And you know it. So let's just pretend I was on time and move on, okay?"

"Don't let it happen again," Drakken mumbled. He turned his head to the side. From where he sat, he could see a very poor stitching job run along the midriff of Shego's jumpsuit. He looked up at her. "What happened there?"

"It's nothing," Shego said.

"I knew you were working for a new villain," Drakken said ruefully. "After all this time, I'd think you would have the decency to tell me the truth."

"I'm not— You're so frustrating!" said Shego. "I'm not working for a new villain. I'm not working for _any_ villains. Is that so hard for you to believe?"

"Frankly, yes," Drakken said. "Last I heard, you had _dozens_ of job offers. This university job might just be a ruse to get your hands on one of my brilliant inventions!"

"Don't flatter yourself," Shego said, sitting on the lab table. "Even at your best, I wouldn't call your inventions 'brilliant'."

"Laugh it up, Shego," Drakken snapped, turning his attention back to the blueprint. "But the scientific community begs to differ. I am the brilliantest genius of my generation."

Shego scoffed. "Who told you that? Your mother?"

"_Time_ magazine, actually."

"I think the term they used was "most brilliant scientific visionary", not 'brilliantest genius'," Shego said.

Drakken looked at her, flummoxed. Had she read the article? He'd posed with a few other scientists from around the globe in a studio in Silicon Valley last October. For a month, his face had been everywhere. It wasn't impossible for Shego to have read it. Why did it matter to Drakken that she had? His stomach felt warm and liquid-y. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Did you-?"

"What did I say about not flattering yourself? I saw the cover at the dentist's office last week." Shego peered over at the blueprints. "So, whatchya got?"

Drakken harrumphed and pressed the blank pages to his chest. "Oh, no. I don't want you running off to tell your new—"

"Cut that out! I'm not working for anybody else! Yeesh!" Shego threw her hands in the air. Then, she bit her lip and her hands fell to her sides. "Would I do that to you?"

"One can never be too careful in the competitive field of science," Drakken said. What he didn't say—in case she told him no to flatter himself a third time—was how relieved he was to hear that she wouldn't work for another mad scientist or villain. Even though it was at odds with her ripped jumpsuit and the times she'd worked for the Seniors and Motor Ed, Shego's professed loyalty meant _something_. She always did come back. Drakken laid the blank pages down and smoothed them out with his hands.

"This is what we're working with?" Shego asked. "Blank paper? Yikes. How the mighty have fallen."

Drakken's lip curled. "So I haven't been particularly inspired lately. Everyone gets inventor's block."

Shego shook her head. She looked at the blank pages and a frown creased her features. "This is bad."

"You think I don't know that?" Drakken snapped. "I've just been tweaking old inventions for the last three years. It started with the plant potion and then it was the hovercrafts and now—"

"You've run out of ideas."

"Have not!" Drakken said. "I've just… run out of ideas to tweak."

Shego rolled her eyes. "I know you invented more than two things. There's got to be something—"

"Oh, sure. I invented plenty of death rays and laser beams," Drakken said. "But just imagine the implications. Say I use my grant to build a better death ray. What happens to that technology? Do I sell it to the highest bidder? What if the highest bidder is a national military and I inadvertently cause a world war? Or what if it's a private buyer, intent on world conquest, and they use my technology to do what I failed to do? Then what?"

Shego stared at him. And then she began to laugh. She wiped the corner of her eyes and sighed. Drakken groaned.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Ethical… quandaries…" Shego managed to say. Then, shaking her head, she regained composure. "That's what you meant earlier, isn't it?"

Drakken thought. "I guess so."

"Well," Shego said. A wicked looking grin overtook her entire face. "There's only one real way to keep any of your inventions out of the wrong hands."

"You aren't saying what I think you're saying—"

"C'mon, Doc. Don't tell me you don't miss it," Shego said. She nudged him almost playfully.

Drakken chuckled. Of course he missed it: a life of villainy. No laws to follow but the laws of physics. What he didn't say was that he missed Shego, too. Instead, he coughed—hard—as though something was caught in the back of his throat.

"Don't be silly," he said. "I'm a legitimate scientist now. There's nothing to miss about building death rays and killer robots and chemical weapons and—"

"Really?" said Shego. "Coulda fooled me."

"I could get you in a lot of trouble for suggesting that, you know," Drakken said.

"Suggesting _what_ exactly? I didn't suggest anything. _You _jumped to conclusions."

"Please, Shego. It doesn't take a genius to know what you were thinking," said Drakken.

"Uh-huh. Because you read minds now," Shego said dryly. "Ooh, maybe you should draw blueprints up for _that_. Mind reading."

"This is a mock-free zone, Shego," said Drakken. "Now if you don't mind, I need to focus."

Shego rolled her eyes and leaned back on the table. Drakken looked at his blank blueprints. His skin went tight and prickly as he did his best not to look over at Shego. He was determined to focus on the task at hand. He squinted, still staring at the blank blueprints.

"Keep glaring at it," Shego murmured, leaning over Drakken's shoulder. "Maybe you'll burn a hole through your blueprints that way."

"GAH!"

"You are _so_ tightly wound," said Shego. "C'mon, Doc. It's the first day of school. It can't have gone that badly—"

"It can't, can it?" Drakken asked, shooting a doleful look her way. "I've been dealing with lippy teenagers all morning. One of the Possible clones called me the laughingstock of the scientific community. The other one said I was losing my touch."

"So? _Time_ magazine called you the—what was it—most visionary what's-it. Why do you care what some college freshmen said about you?"

Drakken's shoulders sagged. In truth, when the Possible clones said it, it only hurt because of their striking resemblance to James Possible. And even then, it didn't hurt for long because of the three strike policy. Two more displays of disrespect and the clone would be out of Drakken's hair. Still—

"What I wouldn't give to vaporize him," Drakken said. "And the whole Possible posse!"

"Tell me about it," Shego said. "That little reunion this morning didn't feel complete without kung fu-ing it out with Kim Possible and her stupid sidekick."

"If only there was some way I could…" Drakken stopped. He looked up at Shego and beamed. "Shego! That's it!"

"I'm sorry. What's it?"

"What I need to do is design a method of eradicating the Possible family from the face of the earth," said Drakken. "It would be a service to the university, to get rid of those clones. I mean, really, if _that's_ how they talk to their professors…"

Drakken began to scribble on the blueprint paper.

"It would save the whole science department a world of trouble," Drakken continued. "If those two are anything like their father at that age, we'll be lucky if the university is still standing by the end of semester. If I could just come up with a way to get them out of the way—quickly, quietly, and in an eco-friendly manner—it would be justifiable. For the greater good, in fact."

"Wait," said Shego. "Since when do you care about the greater good?"

Drakken stopped scribbling. "Oh, come on, Shego. It's publicly funded research. It _has_ to benefit the community, or they'll pull the plug."

"Right." Shego paused. "So what do I do while you plot this one out?"

"What you usually do, I guess."

"Secure the perimeter?" Shego asked. "Because, you know, it's not like there's campus security or anything."

"Mock-free zone," Drakken reminded her. "If you don't have anything constructive to say, you can leave."

Shego slid off the table and began walking toward the door. "Thanks for the permission, Doc. See ya!"

"Shego, wait-!" Drakken called after her. She turned around only to salute him before walking off. Drakken grumbled. "Blast!"

And then he turned back to his work. He had a lot to do between now and tomorrow. But first, he had to come up with a design that he could easily disguise as something innocuous… Something no one would ever suspect as the key to ridding the world of meddlesome Possibles.

* * *

"It's a laser," Shego said, looking at the blueprint the next morning.

Drakken stalked across the room to the coffee machine. His office was much smaller than the lab and infinitely more private. Its walls were covered with medals and certificates that were supposed to make him feel accomplished and powerful. Instead, listening to Shego's monotone voice, Drakken felt as if he'd somehow failed her. Truthfully, he'd been fuelled by a strange desire to impress her between the hours of one and six that morning. It was now a quarter past eight and that urge was back. He didn't want her laughing at him, rolling her eyes, and leaving again. Shego had done all of that too many times.

"It's not _just_ a laser," he said, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "It's a solar-powered laser."

"Ooh, wow," Shego said. "That makes all the difference!"

"Of course it makes a difference," said Drakken. He took a sip of his coffee and nearly spit it back out. "This is vile."

"Really?" Shego asked. "The world's "most brilliantest scientist" still haven't mastered the science of coffee making?"

"It's too early for your mockery," Drakken said. "Not all of us got to go home and sleep."

"You think I slept?" Shego asked. "I wish."

Drakken's eyebrow rose high upon his forehead. Shego was the sort to take long vacations to the Mediterranean seaside, but not the type to party on a work night. He tried to imagine her in a nightclub, but found that he didn't know what nightclubs looked like any more. Instead, he conjured an image of Shego from some years ago as the two of them trekked to the Bermuda Triangle for villainous business. He liked the image a little too much to be angry. And then he scowled because he didn't like liking that mental picture. Sleep deprivation must have been playing tricks on him.

"Rough night?" Drakken asked. The bitter tone of jealousy in his voice surprised him. He still hadn't dispelled his suspicions that Shego was working a shady side-job.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Shego told him. Drakken couldn't make heads or tails of her statement, since there were very few things Shego couldn't handle. "So, why a laser?"

Drakken took another swig of coffee and sputtered. It really was vile.

"I don't have class until 11:30," he told her. "Let's get some real coffee and I'll tell you all about my master plan."

"Oh goody," Shego said. "Just what I wanted. A caffeinated rant."

"I'll buy you breakfast," said Drakken. "Shego, please."

"All right, fine," Shego said. "But just so you know, restaurants aren't mock-free zones."

"You call what you've been doing 'mock-free'?!"

Fifteen minutes later, Drakken sat across from Shego inside of a diner on the corner of 60th and Main Street. Outside, ambulance sirens wailed as they zipped to the hospital down the block. Shego had suggested the place, which surprised Drakken. She wasn't a fan of greasy spoons, or at least, she hadn't been when they'd been villains. Now that they were seated outside on the restaurant's patio, level with the street noise, Drakken thought maybe Shego suggested this place because there would at least be something to drown him out. After they ordered, Drakken unfurled his blueprint and laid it on the table for Shego to see.

"If you'll notice," he said. "It's not just _any_ laser. This laser—"

A man in a construction helmet and orange vest began drilling into the road only a few feet away.

"What did you say?" Shego asked. "I can't hear you."

"If the laser works," Drakken said. "It will harness more power from the sun than any current device on the market!"

The racket from the jackhammer was joined by the sounds of construction on a nearby scaffold. Shego said something, but now Drakken couldn't hear her. He pointed to his ear.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Drakken asked.

"I SAID—" Shego started as an ambulance whipped around the corner, sirens blaring. The construction noise didn't die down - People around them continued to chatter loudly. And then a cellphone ringtone began to play the latest Brittina hit. Shego growled and shot a thin jet of green plasma directly at the phone. It disintegrated in its owners hands. The other diners fell silent. Shego smirked and looked back at Drakken. "I said: how do you know it'll work?"

"THAT'S THE POINT OF EXPERIMENTATION!" Drakken shouted. His ears still rang from the noise. "YOU TRY UNTIL IT WORKS!"

"Tone it down, will ya, Doc?" Shego said. "Also you might want to move your blueprints. Food's here."

Drakken folded his blueprints and put them in his lab-coat pocket. Two huge platters filled with eggs, hash browns, and bacon stretched out in front of him and Shego. Between them were a large carafe of coffee and a pitcher of orange juice. It dawned on Drakken as his stomach rumbled that he hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday. He tucked his napkin into the front of his shirt.

"Now, as I was saying—"

"Nuh-uh," Shego said, holding up a hand. "We aren't talking about work while we eat. I don't wanna lose my appetite."

"Shego, _I'm_ the boss and—" She shot him a look and Drakken sighed. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Shego shrugged. "Anything but work."

Drakken thought for a moment. His lips twitched to the side. Shego looked at her food and began cutting her eggs so that the yolk ran all over her potatoes. She took a bite and chewed a few times before swallowing. She took three more bites before catching Drakken's eye.

"What?" she asked. Annoyance flickered onto her features, not for the first time that morning. Drakken blinked.

"Nothing! Nothing," he said. Then (bravely, he thought), Drakken asked, "How've you been? It's been a long time."

Shego, who had been lifting her fork to her mouth, stopped midway. She set down the utensil and folded her hands on the table.

"You really wanna know?" she asked, eyeing Drakken suspiciously.

Drakken nodded.

"Better question: _Why_ do you wanna know?"

"Because…" Drakken paused. There hadn't been a single day where he hadn't wondered how she was doing since they'd gone their separate ways. But he'd never questioned _why_ he cared so much. He assumed it was because they'd known each other and worked together and lived together for so long that not having her around was strange. But that didn't account for it now because even though they were together again and he could gauge for himself how she was doing, he still wanted to hear it from her. He wanted to know what she'd been doing for the last three years. If she was happy, if she missed him…

He'd missed her.

"Because…" he said again. "Because I just _do_. I just want to know how you've been. I haven't seen you or talked to you in three years. Is it so wrong that I want to catch up?"

"Depends," Shego said. "Are you going to use it as a springboard to talk about work again?"

"Nrrrgh! No!" Drakken slammed a fist onto the table. He plucked up his fork and knife and sawed at his eggs with extra ferocity. "I just wanted to know how you were doing. I haven't seen you—haven't talked to you—in three years. It's not unreasonable for me to ask. I've missed you, although right now I don't know _why_ I missed you, since you can't even—won't even—Gah! Just forget it!"

"You missed me?" Shego echoed. She sounded touched for a moment and Drakken nodded. But then, matter-of-factly, she added, "Well, you should have thought about that before you left."

Drakken stared at her blankly. "You left, Shego. I didn't leave. I stayed."

"Yeah, you stayed… In Switzerland!" said Shego.

"They offered me the job of a lifetime!" Drakken protested. "You could have stayed with me, you know."

"And do what? Iron your shirts and keep dinner warm for you?" Shego said. "No thanks, Doc."

"I never asked you to—"

"Forget it," Shego said. "This conversation is over."

"But—"

"Over."

Drakken stabbed his potatoes a few time before shoving a forkful into his mouth. They were somehow salty and bland at the same time. He forced them down with a dry gulp and poured himself some coffee. Shego seemed engrossed in mixing her potatoes and eggs together until they were a soppy, yellow mess. Drakken turned to his coffee and added sugar and milk to it until it turned a caramel color. Then he took another sip. Compared to the coffee in his office, this stuff was ambrosial. Shego had taken him to the best coffee in the city. He smiled at her.

"What now?" Shego asked.

"The coffee is good," Drakken said. "That's all."

"Oh."

"How is your food?"

"Same as yours," Shego said. Then, she started to laugh. "Listen to us. We sound like teenagers on the world's worst first date."

"Date?"

"Don't get any ideas," Shego told him. "I just meant that we're making terrible, awkward small talk. This _isn't_ a date."

"I know this isn't a date, thank you," said Drakken. "And even if it _was_ it still wouldn't be the world's worst."

"Oh really?" Shego cocked an eyebrow. "Since when do you know about dates?"

"I've got game, Shego!" Drakken said. "I'll have you know I went on a few first dates in the last three years."

"With real women or with robot women?"

"Real women," Drakken said. Then, shuddering, he muttered, "Not robot women. Never again."

Shego tilted her head. "You went on dates in the last three years? Real dates?"

"Yes!" said Drakken. "And believe me, if this was a first date—which it isn't—there is no way it could be worse than going out with a woman who laughs at all your jokes and who takes interest in your work all night long, but when you make it to the lab you realize she's from Fermilab and that she only wants you for your gravitomic technology…"

Shego started to laugh. Drakken's ears flushed purple.

"You dated a geek-spy?" asked Shego. "Why am I not surprised?"

"I'm just saying, that's the worst scenario I can imagine," Drakken said. Although it really was a pity that Dr. Ormond turned out to be a spy; Drakken never heard the end of it from the other scientists at CERN. "Use your imagination, Shego. There are worse men you could be on a not-date with."

"Yeah, like your cousin," Shego said, grimacing. "Motor Ed doesn't know we're working together, right?"

"He's in prison," Drakken said. "So unless someone busts him out—or Mother bails him—we shouldn't have to worry about him. Why? _Please_ tell me you didn't give in and go out with him."

"Ew, no." Shego shuddered. "You said to imagine the worst guy I could. So I did."

"Fair." Drakken took a bite. Was Shego seeing anyone now? He couldn't help but be relieved that she wasn't seeing Eddie. Not that Shego had ever shown an iota of interest in him, but a lot of things could change in three years. It would have killed him if Eddie had somehow charmed Shego. He swallowed. "Are you…? Erm… Maybe I shouldn't ask."

"Smart idea," Shego said.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, but now Drakken was curious. A burning sensation inched up his torso and into his chest cavity. His heart pounded furiously; maybe this was what a heart attack felt like. Drakken poured himself some orange juice and gulped it down. His pulse still ticked away under his skin.

"You aren't seeing anyone, are you?" The words flew out of his mouth before he could stop them. Drakken reached up and covered his mouth. From behind his fingers, he mumbled, "I mean, if you are… I just… work… don't want it to interfere…"

"You couldn't go a whole hour without bringing up work," said Shego.

That hadn't been what Drakken meant. Now his stomach felt funny, but at least Shego wasn't threatening him.

"That doesn't answer my question," Drakken grumbled. Shego didn't respond. "I just meant… Well, I remember some of the guys you dated when we were still villains. They weren't exactly prizes."

"Who are you to judge?" Shego looked up. "You dated DNAmy."

"I did _not_ date DNAmy."

"Oh, no, that's right," said Shego. "She was dating Monkey Fist. You just mooned after her for a week…"

"I did not _moon_," Drakken said. "I merely admired her genetic brilliance. She was a pawn in my plan for world conquest."

"Uh-huh," Shego said. "Kinda how you were a pawn for Fermi-Lady?"

"That's enough about me," Drakken said with a wave of his hand.

"I never thought you'd say that," said Shego. "Who are you and what did you do to Doctor Drakken?"

"_Very_ funny. Just answer me this," Drakken said wearily. "Is there anyone in your life—romantic or otherwise—who might give us problems?"

"Just my do-gooder brothers and Possible," Shego said, crossing her arms. "There. Happy?"

Drakken nodded. And to his surprise, he really _was_ happy. Giddy, in fact. A goofy grin spread across his face. The burning sensation in his chest felt… glow-y. He couldn't explain it.

"This will be just like old times."

"Yeah, you, me, and a doomsday device that may or may not blow us up," said Shego. "Just like the good, old days."

Even though Shego was mocking him, Drakken laughed.

"Give or take a couple dozen henchmen," he agreed.

"What ever happened to them?"

"Don't know; don't care," Drakken said with a shrug. "I wrote at least thirty letters of recommendation for the bunch of them and I didn't get one thank you card in return."

Shego made a noncommittal noise before draining her coffee mug. "You ready for the check?"

Drakken reached for his wallet. Instead, he found only his blueprints and keys to his lab. The other pocket was empty. He chuckled nervously.

"Don't tell me you forgot your wallet," Shego said.

"Of course I didn't!" Drakken said, checking his pants' pockets. Nothing but lint. "I just—"

"Forgot your wallet," Shego finished for him. "Oy vey…"

"Did not! I just…!" Then, lowering his voice to a whisper, Drakken said, "I just thought it would be appropriate to celebrate our reunion by doing what we do best."

Shego stared at him blankly.

"_Stealing_, Shego," Drakken whispered.

She grinned. "You mean what _I _do best. You used to send me in to do your dirty work, remember?"

"I forget the details," Drakken said. "So… Does dining and dashing sound good?"

"Works for me," Shego said.

By the time the waiter came with the check, Shego and Drakken were three blocks away, laughing. The glowing feeling spread to his fingers and toes. And as they stood on the corner of 63rd and Maple, Drakken felt unconditionally happy for the first time in months. Maybe this time, his plan would work, after all. And maybe this time, Shego would stay.

* * *

Author's Note: First of all, I'd like to thank my beta, Eunice, for her lightning-fast turn around time on this chapter. Secondly, I'd like to thank my friends Rachel and Manda for serving as unofficial editors and helpers this week. Rachel, I thank you most especially since you have to live with my writer's block and Drakken-esque rants between chapters... despite being new to the fandom. Your support in this pipe dream of mine means the world to me. Last, but certainly not least, I'd like to thank those of you who have been reviewing and following this story. I am truly humbled by your enthusiasm. That said, I'd like to address a few things:

To the person who titled their review "heyy": Thank you for compliments and close reading! To answer your question briefly: yes, I love D/S as a ship/couple. To answer it at length, they were the first pairing I ever supported in any fandom. This story- as it progresses- will contain more than mere "hints" of D/S, since it is a romance. In fact, as far as I can see, all my stories featuring Drakken and Shego will have at the very least undercurrents of romance between them.

To all anons: Please leave some sort of consistent name in the title line of your reviews- particularly if you have questions. I love to talk to my reviewers. You don't have to leave any contact info or anything like that. Just a name (or a sequence of numbers, or a username, whatever floats your boat) so I have something to call you in Author's Notes besides "anon".

To all reviewers, followers, and invisa-fans: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy the rest of this story. Reviews are not only appreciated, but treasured in my book. Feel free to leave feedback or PM me!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Y'all know the drill. I own nothing. Not Drakken and Shego, not the Tweebs. Nada, zip, zero, zilch. I'd prefer not to end up in copyright court. I'm just a fan, producing for fans and for fun.

* * *

The first Saturday of the semester found Drakken hunched over his blueprints, furiously erasing parts of it and grumbling to himself. Shego strolled into the lab wearing her green and black jumpsuit and looking as miffed as Drakken had ever seen her. He spared her a glance and a weak, half-smile, before returning to his work.

"I thought this was a 'big emergency'," Shego said. "What's so important that I'm giving up my Saturday?"

Drakken sighed and turned to face her. There had been a time when he knew Shego's agenda backwards, forwards, and up-side-down, simply because her plans and his were one and the same. Now it occurred to him that Shego had a life. For the last three years, that life hadn't involved him. She may not have been dating anyone or working for another villain, but surely there were other events filling up her social calendar. She sure made it _sound_ that way. Drakken tugged at his collar. Shego _always_ made it sound that way.

"It's just a… stumbling-block, if you will, to Operation Possible Elimination Contraption. A teeny, tiny, little… erm… speed bump."

"Lemme guess," Shego said. "You built the laser out of leftover robotics parts and your apartment blew up."

"Nrrgh! No!" Drakken said. "I'm not that incompetent!"

"Don't get your labcoat in a twist, Doc," Shego said. "I'm joking."

"Jokes are supposed to be funny Shego!" Drakken said. "There's nothing funny about Operation Possible Elimination Contraption!"

"Ooh, that just rolls off the tongue," said Shego. "Have you considered shortening that?"

"As a matter of fact: yes. I call it OPEC!" Drakken raised his hands above his head dramatically.

"Hate to burst your bubble," Shego said, "But that's already a thing."

Drakken stared at her blankly, shoulders sagging.

"Oil Producing… Something Countries… Ring any bells?" Shego asked. "They were the ones who tried to halt the mass production of your hydro-hovercrafts."

"Hmm, yes… That sounds vaguely familiar." Drakken's hands fell to his side.

He'd gotten a lot of angry letters when news of his hydro-technology got out. Some had been from oil tycoons in Texas, others from small principalities in the Middle East. Some were from senators and politicians; some were from other scientists. He'd gotten so many angry letters that he'd appointed an intern to read them all. Fan mail had been directed straight to his personal mailbox, though. He liked the fan letters much more and when he'd had time between inventions and press conferences, Drakken answered as many of those as he could. It was nice to be appreciated. But how did Shego know the names of people who'd sent him anti-fan mail?

"It was on the news," Shego told him, as though reading his mind. "Everyone thought your hydro-crafts would be the end of the oil industry. Countries and organizations that were against 'em sent representatives to every major news channel. Couldn't get a weather report without hearing 'Drakken-this' and 'hydropower-that'."

"So… I can't call my project OPEC?" Drakken asked.

"Not unless you want to tick off a bunch of politicians and world leaders," Shego said. "I mean, I thought you were enjoying your global pardon… "

Drakken rubbed his chin. He needed a better name quickly. "You're right. Besides, 'OPEC' might be copyrighted…"

"You think?" Shego said. "So… you haven't renamed the laser already… why?"

"We have bigger problems than naming the thing," said Drakken.

"Can it wait until Monday?" Shego asked, leaning against the table beside Drakken. He looked at her and noticed another jagged repair job on her jumpsuit. This time, he said nothing about it. Instead, he shook his head.

"It can't," he said. "Monday I have to present my plans to the department, with a proper name and everything."

"You're gonna waltz into a department meeting and tell them you want funding to build a weaponized laser to destroy Kim Possible's dorky brothers?" Shego asked. "Wow. I never accused you of being the next Einstein, but somehow I expected you to be smarter."

"Mock-free—"

"I'm not mocking this time," Shego said. "I'm serious. Why would you think—how could you think—the university would give you funding for a weapon of mass destruction?"

"Well, I was going to give it a catchy acronym, but somebody had to rain on my parade!"

"Forget about the OPEC thing!" Shego said. "What were you going to tell the department?"

Drakken chuckled weakly. "That it was a… erm… service project for the school, designed to rid the campus of… unwanted vermin…"

"You sound like a pest control guy." Shego rolled her eyes and extended a hand towards Drakken. "Lemme see the blueprints."

He hugged the designs to his chest. "This is highly sophisticated and technological information, Shego-!"

Shego lifted a single eyebrow. "You don't think I can read it."

"I didn't—No…! I just…"

"Trust me, doc, I'm a smart gal," Shego said. "I'll manage."

"I know you _can_, it's just…" Drakken growled. "It's just that you've never taken any interest in my plans before."

"That is _not_ true," Shego said. Her hands flew to her hips.

"It is, too!" Drakken said. "Every time I would tell you my plan, you'd file your nails or read a magazine or just wait for an opportunity to make some snide remark. The only time I _ever_ heard you get enthusiastic about something I was doing was when you were under mind control—"

"Which _you_ put me under," said Shego.

"Exactly!" Drakken said. "I had to put you under mind control to get you to listen to me! Do you have any idea what that was like for me?"

"For you?" Shego echoed. "Hah! Try being stripped of your free will for a day and tell me how you like it!"

"I didn't say it was right of me to put you under mind control," Drakken said. "I just meant that… Gah! You aren't listening again."

"So I'm not an auditory learner," said Shego. "I'm more of a hands-on kinda person. Speaking of which, could I get my hands on those blueprints?"

"But why _these_ blueprints?" Drakken asked. It would be the second time she'd looked at them. In the past, she didn't even glance over his plans once. "Why not my gravitomic ray or the hovercrafts or my plant potion or—"

"Fine. Maybe I won't help," Shego said. "But I guess that means you're up a creek without a research assistant. Have fun telling the dean that you want to vaporize Kim Possible's little brothers."

"Nrrgh, this is the second time you've tried to walk out on me this week," said Drakken. "Just… here."

He offered Shego the blueprints. She took them into her hands and read them in silence. Drakken looked at her. A pensive expression creased her brows. Little crinkles appeared between them. Her lips puckered and twitched. Drakken couldn't read her; only when she looked up at him, did he realize that he'd been holding his breath.

"So, its solar powered," Shego said. "A solar-powered laser."

"Yes," Drakken said. Then testily, "And I'll have you know that the science is sound."

"Oh, I believe you," Shego said. Drakken couldn't hear any sarcasm in her voice. "But… come on, Doc. We talked about this. It's a laser. The market is saturated with lasers."

Drakken's face fell. He took the blueprints back and he stared at it. This was the second time Shego had said it and she had a point. He'd built dozens—if not hundreds—of lasers before. He thought his muse had returned to him, since the design was so compact and energy-efficient. But looking at it now, OPEC or whatever it was going to be called was nothing special. He crinkled the paper up and threw towards the trashcan. Shego chased after it and snatched it out of midair.

"You're right," Drakken said sadly. "I'm a failure. Just rehashing the same old ideas—"

"Hey, zip it a minute," Shego said. "No one called you a failure."

"You didn't have to say it," said Drakken. "It was implied."

"Oh, brother," Shego said, walking over to Drakken again and unfurling his laser blueprints. "Y'know. Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way."

"Go ahead. Turn it upside-down," Drakken told her. "But a laser is still a laser, no matter which way you point it."

"I said 'zip it'," said Shego. She sat on the stool beside Drakken and smoothed out the plans in front of them both. "It's a laser, yeah. Okay. But look at the energy source. It's a solar cell. Didn't you say that if this baby works, you'll harness more solar power than any scientist before you?"

Drakken nodded. "_If_ it works—"

"You just need money to test it," Shego told him. "You could tell the department chair that you're only testing to see how much energy you can actually harness. If it works, then you can vaporize anybody you want. And if it doesn't, you won't have wasted your own money. All you gotta do is _pretend_ that you're only after raw data."

Drakken looked over at her. A smile spread slowly across his face. Artists had muses; Drakken had Shego.

"Sometimes, I think you're more of a genius than I am," he confessed.

"Only sometimes?"

"Less lip, more brainstorming," Drakken said. "We still have to rename this scheme. Nothing too sinister… And definitely nothing copyrighted!"

They settled on calling the laser the Solar Energy Converter. SEC wasn't quite as catchy as OPEC, but it kept Drakken out of copyright court. The department was all atwitter about the project, speculating the uses for that much power generated by natural means through such a small cell. Drakken's specialty in the last few years had been alternative energy, so much faith was put into the project. And funding like Drakken couldn't believe.

"We could always take the money and run," Shego said one morning, while sitting on Drakken's desk.

Her legs swung back and forth, playfully smacking him in the back of the knee. Drakken, meanwhile, was writing "Cloning" in big letters on the smart board. This time, he came armed with a stockpile of paper towels and a 24 ounce bottle of Windex.

"Where's the fun in that?" said Drakken. "Besides, the money would run out after a while. Getting rid of the Possibles would last a lifetime."

Shego made a noncommittal noise. "If I remember correctly, stealing was a lot of fun. Back in the day."

"Don't let my students hear you say that," Drakken said. "I got them to agree not to plagiarize. Which is the college word for "stealing"."

"You're really taking the professor thing seriously," Shego said. "I never pictured you as the teacher-type."

Drakken snorted. "Me? You have a degree in child development. Talk about unexpected."

"I had to have a sensible back up," Shego said with a shrug. "You know, if the whole supervillain thing didn't work out. Besides, without my degree, you and I wouldn't be working together right now."

Drakken sucked in a sharp breath as the toe of Shego's high-heel brushed the back of his knee again. It trailed upward slowly and deliberately. Drakken took a minute to exhale.

"You don't know that," he said, adding a bullet-point below "Cloning". "Maybe in an alternate time-stream, we're still villains and we still work together."

"Maybe in an alternate time-stream, we've never met," Shego said.

"That's sad," said Drakken. "I prefer to think that there's another us in another universe, ruling an island nation off the coast of South America."

"Cute," Shego said. "Do you think about alternate versions of us often?"

Drakken stopped writing. "I think about a lot of things. And, I mean, there are infinite possibilities for alternate universes, so whenever I think about alternate universes, I usually come up with a whole bunch of alternate versions of myself—"

"Sorry I asked," Shego said. She looked at the board. "New topic: why is the university letting you lecture about cloning?"

Drakken returned to writing. He scribbled down "Current Uses" next to his bullet point.

"They think I have something valuable to offer to current scientific discourses—"

"English, Dr. D," Shego said.

Drakken shrugged. "I got to make my syllabus. So I figured I should talk about things I know about first hand."

"I thought we agreed no cloning," Shego said.

"We agreed that I wouldn't clone you," said Drakken. "And anyways, I'm not cloning _anybody_. I'm just talking to my students about its place in the world and on the moral scale."

"And where do you put it on the moral scale these days?"

"It has its uses," he said. "But clones are problematic. They can think and feel and make decisions… They're more hassle than their worth. I'd rather take an army of robots any day."

"As I recall, you haven't had the best luck with robots," said Shego.

Drakken said nothing. He never told Shego all the details of what he thought of as the Bebe Incident. Robots didn't work for him because he was too good an engineer. He'd created intelligent artificial life, once. He couldn't name anyone else who'd done the same. But even if Shego _did_ know about that, she'd have a point. That particular incident hadn't ended well…

"Are you going to stay for class this time?" Drakken asked, capping the dry-erase marker.

"As if I don't get to hear enough of your blabbering already," she said.

"Right." Drakken didn't bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I'll stick around for the first half," Shego promised. "But I've got things to do before we get started in the lab tonight. How's that?"

"You always have other things to do."

"Take it or leave it," said Shego.

"Take," Drakken said without hesitation. "I'll take it."

Shego slid off the desk and walked up the steps to the highest seat in the back of the lecture hall. She leaned back in her chair and placed her legs on the top of her desk.

"How do you expect to hear me from back there?" Drakken asked.

"_Please_," said Shego. "It's not like you're quiet."

"You're not going to get lippy with me during class, are you?" said Drakken.

"I wouldn't _dream_ of it," Shego said.

"Seriously, Shego, one jibe out of you—"

"And you'll throw me out? You invited me, remember?"

"Shego!"

The class began to fill in to take their seats. The Possible clones took theirs in the center of the front row.

"I know, I know. Mock-free zone," said Shego. "Come on, Dr. D. Even I can go half an hour without being sarcastic. Give me a little credit."

"Dr. D?" one of the clones asked. "Can we call you that?"

"Not in a million years," said Drakken.

"Yeah," said the other clone. "It's not like he's a _real_ doctor. He's got an honorary doctorate."

"I have twelve honorary doctorates, actually," Drakken said. "MIT, the Curie Institute, Berkeley—"

"It's not the same thing, though," said the first clone. "Pop stars can get honorary doctorates."

"You can probably buy them off the internet," said the second. "If I bought an honorary doctorate online, do you think they'd let me teach the class?"

"It's worth a shot," the first clone said. "Maybe you could have Dr. D's job."

"Hoosha!"

Drakken groaned. Nobody called him Dr. D except Shego. Nobody. He could feel blood rush to his face. A strangled noise escaped his throat. This was why he was against cloning. You couldn't control clones. They might not be submissive; they might give you attitude. Oh, sure, real people could give you sass, too, but there were so many other variables in play with real people. When you created something in a lab, you were supposed to be able to predict results within a specific margin of error. Why James Possible thought cloning himself would be a good idea, when he already had one annoying child to deal with was beyond Drakken's comprehension.

"Oy, Things One and Two," Shego called from the back. "If you shut up, you might actually learn something from the doc."

"Ooh," said one of them. "Is that your girlfriend?"

Many of the students looked annoyed, a few looked genuinely curious. Some looked disturbed. But the other clone giggled. Drakken was most upset by the giggling.

"No!" he said. "She's my… Shego. Not _my_ Shego, strictly speaking. She's Shego. Just… Shego."

"But she always hangs around here," said Clone One.

"And she got all defensive of you," the other clone asked. "She's totally your girlfriend."

"I'm not defensive of him, numbskull," Shego said. "But not everyone wants to hear you run your mouth. Savvy?"

Even though Shego apparently wasn't defending him, Drakken couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude towards her. She hadn't made a show of disgust that his students would mistake her for his girlfriend, as she had when his mother made that suggestion. Drakken beamed up at her and mouthed "thank you". Unfortunately, everyone in the classroom saw. Drakken went purple about the ears.

"So… Cloning," he said. "Today's topic is cloning."

He proceeded to talk about its uses in agriculture and in medicine. He talked about the current state of cloning technology in 'legitimate' science. And then the topic turned to mad science.

"There are, of course, ways to create _temporary_ clones, as I discovered in my early years as a supervillain," Drakken said. "If the clones are not chemically stable, you merely need a weak acid to destroy them—"

One of the Possible clones raised its hand. Drakken ignored it.

"—These clones can be modified to incorporate genetic traits of other creatures—"

"You say destroy like they aren't people," the Possible clone said. "Doesn't it hurt them when you spray acid on them?"

"I… erm…" Drakken looked up to the back of the classroom, in search of an answer from Shego. To his horror, she was gone. "… I was hypothesizing. This is all purely theoretical, you understand…"

"Kim says you cloned her once," Possible Clone Two said. "That doesn't sound very theoretical to me."

"What happened to those clones?" said Possible Clone One.

"Ask your sister," Drakken said, crossing his arms. Talking about clones while talking to clones made his head hurt. "You're wasting my time."

"There's no such thing as a stupid question," a different student piped in.

"Put a ham in it, Miss Sunshine," Drakken told her. "Of course there are stupid questions."

"Kim says you're full of them," Possible Clone One said. He high-fived Possible Clone Two.

"I am not!" Drakken said.

"Are too!"

"Nrrgh!" Drakken threw his hands in the air. "I don't want to hear another word about your sister! I want all of you to write me five pages about cloning and Nietzsche or cloning and Kant."

"What are Nietzche and Kant?" one student asked.

"Required reading," Drakken spat. "Class dismissed."

Many students grumbled about the fact that neither Nietzsche nor Kant were on the syllabus. Others complained that the school bookstore had already sold out of philosophy texts. Even more glared at Drakken and the Possible clones on their ways out the door. Drakken didn't care. He'd arbitrarily assigned the first two philosophers that he could remember from his own college days. His concern had little to do with morality now. Instead, all he saw was red. Before Shego left, he'd been doing great. Without her, the classroom turned into a zoo. Once the students marched out of the classroom, Drakken called Shego's cell phone.

It went straight to voicemail.

Typical.

* * *

A/N: A hearty thanks goes out to my roommate, Rachel, for putting up with my lame pun about OPEC. I must have rewritten that part six times this week. Also many thanks to her for all the other stuff she's done for me this week alone, including but not limited to taking me to the ER and drawing me a picture of Drakken to cheer me up. A thank you to Manda, as well, for helping me brainstorm for my next big adventure in the KP-verse. Also, a super-duper thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! Feedback is _always _appreciated.

Now, to specifics:

heyy: I always operated under the principal that Drakken turned 40 just before "So the Drama". That movie seemed like his big mid-life crisis moment; many of his plans that followed were equally mid-life-crisis-y. He got his groove back in "Graduation". This puts Drakken at 40 in 2005 and 42 at series end. Shego, meanwhile, is harder to place. I never operated under the principle that she was Kim's age. I never will believe that to be true, especially after "Stop Team Go". If I had to guess, I'd say she was in her late twenties or had just turned thirty around the time of "Graduation". Which puts Drakken and Shego at 45 and 33 respectively for purposes of this story. Age ain't nothin' but a number. Sorry for the ridiculously long answer. In response to the rest of your review: thank you so much! And you guys will find out more about Switzerland as time goes on, if there's a place to fit in the whole scene. (It's written and saved to my laptop, but might not fit in well, as flashbacks are often tedious and difficult).

GhibliGirl91: I know I PM'd you an answer, but to anyone else who is wondering... I will not be writing the rest of this story from Shego's PoV. The first chapter functions sort of like a prologue, so I took liberties with point of view there. This story is intended to be from Drakken's perspective and it will stay that way. The only exception is if I decide to do an epilogue, which is still on the table. There will be plenty of opportunities to write from Shego's perspective in other stories! (My next one will likely alternate between her and Drakken every other chapter.)

The Eye Of The Oncoming Storm: Like GhibliGirl91, I PM'd you an answer to your question. However, to those of you wondering the same thing: I suggest you reread the first chapter. What Shego's been up to is hidden there. However, it will be revealed soon!

And last, but not least: CB73 is so right. The laser will give them grief. But no more grief than they give each other!

Please, don't be shy about reviewing. I love talking to you guys, hearing your thoughts, and expanding my own. Hope y'all are enjoying!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable characters, products, or locations in this story. Those rights belong to Disney.

* * *

When Shego came into the lab two nights later, Drakken didn't look up at her. Instead, without saying a word, he handed her a pair of goggles and gloves. She barely had time to get them on before Drakken turned on his welder. Sparks danced brightly in front of their eyes and the searing sound drowned out any words either could say.

Not that Drakken had anything to say to Shego.

Well, that wasn't _exactly_ true. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but for once, he didn't feel like talking. He wanted nothing more than to sulk until she apologized—or at the very least asked what was wrong. It wasn't in her nature to do either, so Drakken figured he was in an irreversible funk. Truth be told, though, he didn't know _why_ he was so upset. Shego had left him a thousand times before. She'd even left him in prison to rot before now. And yet, somehow, this hurt worse. When she ditched him for the Seniors or Motor Ed or whoever, she was just following the money. In those days, Shego came back to him without bribes or mandates or hours set forth by the university. Now, Drakken understood her loud and clear: those days were over. She was only here because she had to be in the lab for a set number of hours per week to help him. Similar thoughts had crossed his mind in their early days as villains. But towards the end of it all, Shego stuck around more and more often. For a while, Drakken thought she might actually enjoy his company. But this time, Drakken did some research before conclusion-jumping: Shego had been assigned to him by a temp agency downtown. Her resume was filled with substitute teaching gigs and secretarial work from the last three years. She was on an almost state-wide "Do Not Hire" list. She was here because Go City University was one of only a handful of places she could still get a job. Drakken even called the agency for more information.

The woman he'd spoken to—a Mrs. Hoffman—said that Shego had even called the temp agency and begged for reassignment on the first day. Her pleas had been denied, otherwise Shego would be somebody else's research assistant on the other side of town.

And this sent white hot hurt through Drakken's gut. It made everything make sense. Shego wasn't thrilled to be around him again. She hadn't given him any reason to think that she was. He'd mistaken her teasing for their usual banter. Boy, had he misread that one, thinking things were normal. He just wished he hadn't. Breakfast with her in that diner last week had been something special. Just thinking of their 'not-date' made his chest go prickly. And to Shego, it was all just business.

"Get me the screwdriver," Drakken said after a long, irritable silence.

"Huh?"

"In the red toolbox. Top drawer. Get it," Drakken said.

"What's the magic word?" Shego said in a sing-songy voice.

"Now," said Drakken.

"Easy there, chief," Shego said. She held her hands up. "I was just teasing—"

"You haven't stopped teasing since you got here," he snapped. "Just do your job for once, Shego."

"Whaddya mean 'for once'?" Shego growled, going to the toolbox. "I've _always_ done my job."

"Hah," Drakken said. "You _never_ do what I tell you."

"I'm doing what you told me to _right now_," Shego said.

"What about yesterday?" Drakken blurted out. "I asked you to stay and you didn't!"

Shego turned around and looked at him. Drakken met her gaze; he was shocked at the softness in Shego's eyes. It was as if it hadn't occurred to her that Drakken might be hurt because she kept leaving. Truthfully, it hadn't occurred to Drakken before now, either. His eyes widened and his mouth gapped open, but no more words slipped out.

"You _asked_," Shego said, walking back to the table and throwing the screwdriver onto the table. It skittered across the black slate with a slight screech. "You didn't _tell_ me to stay."

"I—" Drakken stopped. He blinked. "Would that have worked?"

Shego shrugged. "Doesn't matter much now. You didn't tell me to stay. So I left. Besides, you had everything under control."

"I did n—" Drakken stopped. He didn't want to tell Shego about his argument with the Possible clones, in case she found him incompetent. Or, well, more incompetent than usual. A smug smile settled on his lips. "I _did_, didn't I?"

After all, he'd gotten the last laugh, assigning five page papers due by the next class. It would serve those brats right for mocking his genius and questioning his morals. Of _course_ it didn't hurt the Kim-clones when the real Kim Possible melted them with soda. They weren't real people. They weren't even real clones.

Right?

He hadn't thought about any of this in years.

"You look like you're gonna be sick," Shego said. "You feeling alright, Doc?"

"Do you think it hurts when you melt clones with acid?" Drakken asked.

"I thought you said you weren't going to clone anybody." Shego turned away from him. Cloning was apparently still a touchy subject for her.

"They weren't _real_ clones, per se," Drakken said. "Oh, never mind."

Drakken picked up the screwdriver and busied himself with last-minute touches on the SEC laser.

Shego raised an eyebrow. "I leave you alone for two days and you practically finish your laser _and_ melt clones with acid. And I thought I've been busy…"

"Forget the clones," Drakken said. "Where have you been going, anyways?"

Just because this was a purely professional relationship didn't mean he wasn't still curious.

"When did lab time become sharing circle?" asked Shego. "It's none of your business."

"It is _too_ my business!" said Drakken.

"Oh really?" Shego put her hands on her hips. "_Do_ enlighten me."

"It's my business because…"

Drakken stopped. He didn't have a good excuse. When Shego had lived with him in one of their lairs, he could say, 'Because as long as you live under my roof…" and the battle had a fifty-fifty chance of being won. When she'd been his sidekick, he could say, 'Because we're a team' and that had worked every time except the last time he'd said it. And if this was just some temp-gig for Shego, they weren't really a team anymore, anyways. But what was he supposed to say this time?

"Because I made it my business, that's why."

"Ooh," Shego said. "That _really_ means something."

"Because I thought we were… friends!" Drakken said. "I don't know."

"Friends?" Shego repeated. "You and me?"

"Don't you think so?" asked Drakken. "I mean, two people can't have the shared history we do and _not_ be friends. After a fashion…?"

"After a fashion," Shego said. Her voice sounded far-off. "Of course, two people with our 'shared history' could hate each other, too. Y'know. 'After a fashion'."

"You hate me?" Drakken asked. "Well that's just—"

His voice broke. He threw his screwdriver onto the lab table. Why did he have to call them 'friends'? That was stupid.

"I don't hate you," Shego said, hovering over his shoulder. "Not all the time, anyways."

Drakken didn't say anything. He stared straight ahead. Because maybe Shego was right. Maybe two people who'd tried to conquer the world together and who'd saved it together weren't friends. After all, she wasn't here of her own free will. And she'd left him three years ago in Geneva.

The ceremony at the UN had been two days before. In those forty-eight hours, few words were exchanged between mad scientist and assistant. They laid low in their respective hotel rooms, avoiding paparazzi cameras and other prying eyes. But during that time span, Drakken bought a penthouse suite overlooking Microcosom gardens. He called Shego's hotel room and asked that she join him for a surprise. When she arrived, Drakken flung his arms wide and spun around, grinning.

"Ta-da!" He stopped spinning and grinned at Shego. "Lair sweet—I mean, home sweet home. What do you think?"

He watched her face. Her brilliant green eyes widened just a little; the only sign of her approval. The rest of Shego's face remained impassive. Drakken's grin faltered.

"Shego," he said. "I asked for your opinion."

"Does it matter?" Shego asked. "You signed the deed already. Didn't you?"

Shego moved to the window quietly and looked out over the gardens. Her dress—the same green one she'd worn to the ceremony—rustled slightly as she leaned against the window pane. She seemed ridiculously overdressed for move-in day. Drakken frowned.

"You don't like it," he said. It wasn't a question.

"I like it just fine, Doc," Shego said without turning around. "It's great."

Drakken relaxed. "Oh, good. Would you like a grand tour? It has two master suites, so you can pick whichever one you want—"

He started down the hallway, expecting Shego to follow. She didn't. Drakken turned to face her. She still looked out the window.

"So that's it, then," Shego said quietly. "You're going legit."

"_We_ are going legit, Shego," Drakken reminded her. "We promised. We signed a contract."

"And you think that means you have to uphold your end of the bargain?" Shego asked, turning to look at him.

"Well, yes. It's legally binding."

Shego laughed. Drakken scowled. He wasn't trying to be funny. He commanded the respect of the scientific and political worlds. His possibilities were endless. There was a whole world out there that craved his genius.

"Not to mention I took a job offer at CERN." He thrust his chin forward. "They're fascinated by my ideas for alternative energy."

Shego stopped laughing.

"You're serious," she said. "You're really doing this."

"_We're_ doing this," Drakken whined. "We're a team, Shego."

Shego snorted. "I got job offers, too, Doc. But that doesn't mean I took 'em."

"What? What kind of job offers?"

"The usual," Shego said, shrugging. "Security, crime-fighting, a couple of sidekick positions…"

"But Shego you're _my_ sidekick," said Drakken, walking to her. "You can't just go off and work for another villain…"

"I didn't say I was gonna leave just yet," said Shego.

And then, to Drakken's surprise, Shego laid a hand on his shoulder. She pulled him close, but not too close. They'd been closer the other day at the ceremony, when his vines developed minds of their own and wrapped her into an awkward embrace. This wasn't as close at all, but this was the closest they'd been since the ceremony. The first time they'd touched in the last few days. He struggled to keep his vines from shooting out again. Shego would probably kill him if it happened twice. One embarrassing moment was enough for the week. His heart pounded in his chest, threatening to leap out and do a tap number on the new, maple floors.

"But if I stick around," Shego said, "I'm not going to be your secretary. I'm not going to answer phones and organize calendars. Got it?"

"But what are you going to do?" Drakken asked. "You aren't going to fight teen heroes at CERN—"

"I wouldn't be working at CERN," Shego told him.

"What would you do?"

"I dunno, Doc," Shego said lightly. Her eyes flickered. "_You_ tell _me_."

Drakken shrugged helplessly. He didn't know what she was supposed to do. If she wasn't going to work for CERN or for another villain, what kind of jobs was available to her in Swizterland?

"Give me _one_ good reason to stay here," Shego said. She sounded like she had an answer in mind and was just waiting for Drakken to figure it out. He hated it when she did that. "And I'll stay."

Drakken chewed his lower lip. He wanted her to stay. Of course he did. She was his… Well, sidekick wasn't the applicable term anymore. She was his Shego. Not _his_ Shego, strictly speaking, but… well… He swallowed hard. He _wanted_ her to stay, but until now, he'd assumed that she would. His head felt light and dizzy.

"Because it's what we do, Shego!" he said. "We stick together."

She pulled her hand off of his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed and for a minute, Drakken thought she would blast him into next Tuesday with her plasma powers. But her hands didn't even bunch up into fists. They went limp at her sides.

"Wrong answer," she hissed. "I hope you're happy."

Drakken watched her walk out of the apartment, wondering how there could be a wrong answer to her question. That was good enough, wasn't it? They were a team. A sort of family, after a fashion. He cared about her. He cared about her more than he cared about anyone else on the whole planet. Surely, she cared about him. He turned to the window and watched her yank the valet out of her rental car before zipping off. She'd be back by tomorrow or the next day. She always came back. But that time, she hadn't. At least, not until Go City Temp Agency assigned her to him as a research assistant. And for some reason, this fight felt a lot like the one they'd had in Geneva. If Drakken didn't know any better, he'd say his heart was breaking, because something in his chest twisted tight and cut off his airways. But that was stupid. Your heart didn't break because someone said they didn't hate you all the time.

Drakken felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Get a grip, Doc. I don't hate you," Shego said quietly. "I don't know why I said it."

Drakken stiffened and sat up straight. He realized only then that his lower lip was quivering. He hadn't cried, but his whole face felt hot and shaky and wrong. He looked over at Shego. They were in the lab, in the now, and on the clock. He blinked a few times.

"Are you _apologizing?"_ Drakken asked.

"Well," Shego said, pulling away from him. "I'm not about to _beg_ for your forgiveness."

Drakken stared at her. She sounded somehow smug. She _looked_ smug. He folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"What if I don't accept your apology?" said Drakken.

Shego shrugged and pushed herself onto the table. She settled in a little more delicately—gingerly—than Drakken was used to her doing. Her leg swung in circles. Every now and then, her foot knocked against Drakken's thigh. It inched up slowly, playfully. It made Drakken's blood boil. The woman had the brazenness, the insolence to tease him, as if everything was just peachy!

"Dunno," she said. "Probably leave you alone in the lab for the night. It's not like you wouldn't forgive me sooner or later."

"Oh really?" Drakken asked.

Shego nodded. "Face it. You need me. If I left for too long, you'd come crawling after me."

"Would not."

"Would too," Shego said. "You've done it before."

"I didn't come after you last time you left for too long," said Drakken. "_You_ came back to _me_. Not that you had much of a choice in the matter. I know all about the temp agency, Shego, so you can stop pretending that we're… that this is all… some sort of game. I _know_ you tried to get out of working with me, so don't act like I'm supposed to want you here."

Silence descended over scientist and assistant. Suddenly, Drakken was very aware of his own breathing. He looked at Shego with his mouth dangling open. Had he actually said that out loud? Why had he said that out loud? Shego's eyes narrowed mistily, the way they had in Geneva. She looked like he'd struck her and even Drakken could put two and two together. Maybe it really _did_ mean something that she'd come back. Drakken wanted to grab his words and stuff them back in his mouth, but there was no way he could do that now. Instead, he shut his mouth and turned back to the laser.

"Never mind," Drakken said quickly, picking up the SEC laser. He held it in both hands and aimed it at a nearby beaker. "The laser is complete. It's time to see what this baby can do."

He steadied his arms. He flipped the "On" switch. And he fired.

And nothing—absolutely nothing—happened.

Drakken clicked the trigger a few more times. He shook the laser even more. When he smacked it against the table, Shego came around to his side and grabbed his arm. She held him still. Her nails dug into Drakken's shirt and bit his skin.

"Did you think that maybe you need to charge it first?" Shego growled. With her free hand, she pried the laser from Drakken's grasp, it clattered onto the table unceremoniously.

"But it's night time," Drakken said. "It's dark."

"Right. I know," Shego said. "So charge it in the morning. If the science is as 'sound' as you say it is the laser will work _in the morning_. You know what, Doc? I'm calling it a night before you have another outburst. See ya around."

"Are you coming back tomorrow?" Drakken asked.

"Maybe," Shego said. She put a hand to her head. "No. I don't know."

"Don't you want to see the SEC's maiden voyage?" Drakken asked.

Shego laughed. It wasn't a warm sound at all. Drakken stared at her dumbly and Shego shook her head. "You don't get it. You really don't get it. Why am I not surprised?"

"Shego-"

"Have fun playing with your laser," Shego said, walking out of the room.

Drakken held the SEC in his hand and stared at it dumbly. _Plop! _Bright yellow flower petals sprouted around his face. Drakken threw the laser on the table and ripped the petals away. Then, mind made up, he followed Shego out into the hall. But when Drakken looked around, she was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Drakken kicked the side of his hovercraft angrily when he reached the parking garage rooftop. Instead of providing him some sort of catharsis, it made his toes ache. He jumped back, muttering to himself. Everything was just stupid. He was stupid. Shego was stupid. His laser was stupid.

But mostly he, Doctor Drakken, was stupid.

This was not an easy thing to admit, since Drakken knew that no matter how stupid he was, he was also a genius. But only a stupid man would have let Shego walk out as many times as he had. Only a really stupid man would have yelled at her the way he had. Now, she might not come back at all. Drakken didn't have Shego microchipped or anything, but he had a special knack for finding her even when she didn't want to be found. Or at least, he once had that ability. Now, as he clambered into his hovercraft, he hoped his sixth sense wouldn't fail him. He wanted to apologize tonight, so they would be fine in time for their next scheduled session in the lab. He wanted to fix things so that she would come back and things would feel normal and right between them. And maybe, if things were normal and right, she wouldn't leave again. She'd stay and they'd annihilate the Possibles and be the team they'd always been.

Drakken flew high above the city and chilly, autumn wind nipped at his ears. Below, he could see cars and streetlamps and poorly-lit green zones. Shego might be nearly impossible to pinpoint. The hovercraft banked east and Drakken flew it lower in the sky. After about twenty minutes, he saw a familiar green glow in a fenced in area below. Drakken lowered the hovercraft to get a better view.

He could see Shego climbing atop piles of stuff. In hot pursuit was a woman whose entire body radiated blue and white electricity. Every now and again, Shego would turn around and send a plasma blast or a kick towards the woman, but mostly, Shego seemed to be running away. It was so _un-_Shego a tactic, that Drakken wondered if he was actually seeing Shego and not some local look-alike.

But how many women had glowing, green hands? Besides, if anyone could pick Shego out of a crowd, it was Drakken. That was definitely Shego. Drakken lowered the hovercraft even more to get a better look. Scrap metal gleamed up at him dully in the moonlight. From this vantage point, Drakken could see that Shego and her opponent were fighting in the local junkyard. In one hand, Shego grasped a briefcase Drakken hadn't seen her with before.

"Face it, darling," the electro-woman called out. "The hero business is not so becoming on you. You should have stuck to villainy."

"Tell me something I _don't_ know," Shego said. She sounded weary to Drakken. He lowered the hovercraft a little more, so that he was ten feet above Shego's head.

"We have company, I think," the electro-woman said, pointing over Shego's shoulders. Shego looked. Drakken, caught, grinned sheepishly.

"What are you doing here?" Shego yelled up at him. "Did you follow me?"

"No! I just… I saw you on my way home and… I just wanted to…Well… Shego, I—Look out!"

Just as Drakken spoke, the electro-woman aimed what looked vaguely like a Taser towards Shego. Shego dodged, but in the process, her foot caught on a piece of junk. She tripped and the briefcase flew out of her hands. It sailed straight into the electro-woman's grasp. She chuckled darkly.

"By all means," she said. "Don't let me interrupt. I'll just take my electro-nodulators and go."

She aimed the taser again and Drakken lowered the ladder of the hovercraft.

"Shego!" he yelled. "Get up here!"

Shego pushed herself off the ground and leapt onto the rope ladder. The electro-woman aimed her Taser-thing at the craft itself and fired. The metallic surface of the hovercraft blazed brightly with charge for a few moments, but nothing happened. It continued to levitate above the junkyard. Its pilot, meanwhile, rubbed his eyes furiously, mumbling to himself as he tried to get his vision back. If he had been looking, he would have seen the electro-woman mock-salute them before dashing off into the night.

"Are you okay?" Drakken asked.

"You let Electronique get away!" Shego roared back.

"You can thank me later," Drakken said, reeling the ladder up into the car of the hovercraft.

"Yeah, sure I'll thank you," Shego said, settling into the passenger seat. "Thanks for nothing, you big, blue dolt!"

"I just saved your life!" said Drakken. "If you'd been standing on that pile of junk, you would have been electrocuted!"

"I—What?"

"That device the electro-woman had could have killed you," he said. "You were standing on a bunch of old, rusty metal! Metal is a conductor of electricity. Rope is not. You were safer on the rope ladder."

"But she hit the hovercraft!" Shego threw her arms in the air. "She could have _killed_ you!"

Drakken laughed and shook his head. "Touched as I am by your concern, Shego, you and I both know this old gal's taken worse beatings."

"Ugh," Shego said. "The same could be said of this 'old gal' right here, Doc. I was fine."

"You wouldn't say that if you'd gotten electrocuted," said Drakken.

"Yeah, I would actually," said Shego. "I'm basically immune to electric shocks, plasma blasts, yada-yada-yada. Super-powers, remember?"

"Oh."

"Which means basically all you did was distract me long enough to let Electronique escape," Shego said. "So, yeah. Thanks for that, chief."

She propped her feet up on the dashboard of the hovercraft and crossed her ankles. The shoddy stitching jobs on her jumpsuit had all but unraveled since Drakken last saw her. Pale green flesh peeked out in places where the suit had ripped. Otherwise, Shego was scott-free. No bruises, no blood. Her hair was ruffled and she looked as happy as she would have been swallowing a cactus. But she looked healthy.

She looked normal. This was the same Shego Drakken had traversed the globe with. Grumpy and unpleasant, but beautiful and smart and cleverer than him by half. She was also the same woman he'd told off a little over an hour ago. And there was something distinctly miserable about her that Drakken couldn't see, but could feel radiating off her. She must have caught him staring because she looked his way.

"What?"

"Is this where you've been going during work?" Drakken asked.

"Yeah, you caught me," Shego said. "I sneak off to hang out in junkyards."

Drakken blinked. If she was going to junkyards in her spare time, the least she could have done was bring back some scrap metal—

"Sarcasm, Doc, yeesh," she muttered, as if able to read his mind.

"Right," Drakken said. "So… where to?"

"What?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd want to spend the night with me in the hovercraft…"

"What?" Shego's arms fell limply to her sides.

"What-what?" Drakken asked.

"Forget it," Shego said. "Take me to Go Tower."

"Why would you want to go there?" Drakken wrinkled his nose. "You hate your brothers. You hate their whole hero shtick! You wouldn't tell me to take you there unless… Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Drakken drove the hovercraft forward. Shego's heroic past was always something he had trouble wrapping his mind around. She hated that part of herself; always had, from what Drakken could gather. Why would she willingly rejoin her brothers in their quest to rid Go City of evil-doers? While trying to riddle this one out for himself, Drakken almost hit a Bueno Nacho sign. Shego's hand nudged his as she grabbed the controller to get the hovercraft back on track.

"Geez," Shego said. "For a guy who doesn't want me here, you sure do need me around."

"I didn't mean I didn't want you around," Drakken said. "I just meant—"

"Save it," Shego said. "You're only going to make this worse."

"I was looking for you so I could apologize, for what it's worth," said Drakken, snatching the controls back. "I didn't mean what I said in the lab tonight."

"Uh-huh," Shego said. She sounded thoroughly unconvinced. "Whatever."

"I was hurt!" Drakken continued. "I called the temp agency and the woman on the phone told me that you'd _begged_ for a transfer! That you would rather work for—and this is a direct quote—'any other scientist on the entire planet' than work with me. Explain that!"

Shego growled. "Yeah, okay. I called for a transfer, but when you put it like that, you make it sound like I'm the bad guy here."

Drakken opened his mouth to speak. Instead a laugh came out. He covered his mouth with one hand.

"What's so funny?" Shego asked.

"Bad guy," Drakken said from between his fingers.

"Why? Because I'm a hero now?" Shego narrowed her eyes at him.

"No!" said Drakken. "Because… Well… It's _us_."

Shego pursed her lips. "We aren't bad guys anymore. You got all… testy when I suggested it."

Drakken sighed. His laughter died away and he shook his head. "Yeah, but those were the days. And if the SEC works…"

Shego raised an eyebrow. "Now who could get in trouble with GJ?"

"I'm serious, Shego!" Drakken said. "If the real purpose of SEC is to annihilate the Possible clones, do you really think the university will hire me back for the spring semester?"

Shego didn't say anything. Drakken couldn't help but think of her state-wide ban from public schools. He didn't know how she survived being shuffled around by temp agencies these last three years. He would have hated that. He probably would have sent destructo-bots to attack the agency by now. Drakken looked at Shego from his peripherals.

"So, how about it?" he asked carefully.

"How about…?"

"You and me, getting back into the take-over-the-world business?" Drakken asked. "I mean, I know, I'm asking for a huge commitment from you and that you might not want to… you know… see me ever again after this GCU job. I respect that and you can have time to think about it—"

"Yeah," Shego said.

"As in 'Yeah' you'll come back and be my sidekick again?"

"'Yeah' as in 'I'll think about it'," Shego corrected. "I don't know if I'm too keen on the whole 'sidekick' thing. Especially if you expect me to be your 'sidekick' after _not_ apologizing for today."

"I said I was sorry!" Drakken said. Shego cut him off by holding up a finger.

"You said you were _going_ to apologize," she said. "They aren't the same thing."

"You did the same thing to me," Drakken pointed out, banking the hovercraft towards the ocean-front highway.

"You didn't accept that apology," said Shego.

"I should have."

"Doy," said Shego. Then as the hovercraft sailed above the dark ocean, she said, "Watch out for the rocks when you land."

"I can land the hovercraft smoothly, thank you," Drakken said.

"Then why don't you start landing now?"

"I won't land this thing until you forgive me," Drakken said. As if to prove his point, he started to make a wide circle around Go Tower.

"You've gotta be joking," Shego said. She reached for the controllers. "Doc, I'm exhausted. I spent the morning listening to your lecture, the afternoon trying to stop a break-in at a local electronics lab, and all night going 'round in circles with you. Just land so I can get some sleep!"

"I can't do that. I'm sorry, Shego," Drakken said, testing out the words pointedly. "Not until you at least accept my apology."

"Drakken!"

"At least think about it?" he said, slowly making the descent after all. The hovercraft bumped a little against the rocks, but otherwise came to a full and gentle stop.

"Fine. Yes. I'll think about it." Shego climbed out of the hovercraft. "You are _so_ weird."

Drakken didn't care that Shego threw in an insult this time. He felt hopeful for the first time that day. He smiled at Shego.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he told her.

"Maybe," she reminded him. "I still have a lot to think about, remember?"

"Right," he said. "Well, just so you know, when you _do_ come back—if you come back—there is a place in my lab for you."

"Don't be a sap, Doc," Shego said, walking to the door. She pressed her hand against a metal box and with a whoosh, the tower gave her entrance.

Drakken watched her until she disappeared and waited, parked on Go Island for a long time before taking off for the night.

* * *

A/N: I figured that progress had to be made in the apology department. I hope that this chapter wasn't out of character, but rather a development in Drakken and Shego's characters. Thank you everyone who has thus far reviewed, read, favorited, followed, or otherwise partaken in the creation of this story. It ain't over yet, folks!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Drakken, Shego, and all other recognizable characters, events, locations, and devices belong to Disney. I am not making a profit off of this story. If I was, the fundage would totally go towards world conquest and paying off my student loans.

* * *

The SEC laser was nowhere in sight. Already, Drakken had torn up his office, his classroom, and his laboratory in search of it. His tools, with the exception of the screwdriver, were all put away nicely. His blueprints were in a folder in the top drawer of his desk, but he couldn't find his laser. And that was a problem. If Shego was coming back today, he had to have something impressive to show her. How else was he supposed to convince her to stay? Apologies were all well and good, but he needed to wow her. To show her he was even more of a genius than he had been when they first began working together. To show her that he was worth sticking around for.

But by the time class ended, Drakken still hadn't found the SEC laser. And he still hadn't heard from Shego. Panicky bile welled up in the back of his throat. When the door to his lab opened, Drakken jumped a full foot into the air.

"Wow," Shego said. "That is some greeting."

She smiled at him. She looked about as at-ease as Drakken felt. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"The laser is gone," he told her. "Help me look."

"You lost it?" she asked, walking towards the cabinets. "How did you lose it?"

"I did not lose it!" Drakken hissed. "I put it down on the lab table when I went to look for you last night."

"It's not there now," Shego said.

"I know that!" Drakken dropped to his knees and looked under the cabinets, as if the laser was small enough to fit there.

"Well, it can't have grown legs and wandered off," Shego told him.

She crouched down and placed a hand on his back. Drakken's shoulders, which had been tight and tense, eased under her touch. He craned his neck to look at her. He wanted to touch her back, to make sure she was really real and really here. Drakken always worried that if he _tried_ to touch her, Shego would flit off. She was impossible to pin down, not that Drakken wanted her pinned, anyways. He settled for smiling at her. She smiled back. Drakken's hands felt slippery and cold inside of his gloves. It might be better that he wasn't touching her, after all.

"You came back," he said.

"Don't I always?" said Shego.

"I didn't mean… yesterday… when I said I didn't want you—"

"I know," Shego said. "The whole swooping-in-while-I-was-busting-Electronique thing kinda gave it away."

"Right. About that—" Drakken started.

Shego shrugged. "It was a nice change of pace. The hero biz is so not for me."

"So you thought about my proposal?" asked Drakken.

"Still thinking about it," Shego said. "But it's… tempting."

"What's there to think about?" Drakken sat up and looked at her. The only time he'd been happier to see her she'd been standing on the other side of his prison cell, holding a ring of keys and wearing a slick grin.

_No,_ Drakken thought. _I think I'm happier now._

"The whole 'sidekick' issue," Shego said. "If it's gonna be you and me against the world, I think 'partner' is a more acceptable term."

Drakken bit his lip. Partner was a term he hadn't considered before. For as long as he could remember, he'd been Shego's boss. Without that clear chain of command, Shego would have walked all over him. Especially in the early days of their work. He wanted a safeguard—a guarantee—that she wouldn't plasma-blast him into next Tuesday if they were partners. She'd very seldom caused him actual physical harm (threats seemed to sate her well enough). But Drakken didn't want to find out the hard way if his title was the only thing keeping him from becoming fried-scientist-on-a-stick.

And yet… there was something tempting about making Shego his partner. Just before the Lowardian Invasion, Shego had been Drakken's partner in all but name. The term "partner" also had a warmer sound to it that made Drakken's pulse thrum happily. Shego may not share his prodigious skill in the sciences, but she was a phenomenal spy and thief. Drakken was neither. She balanced him out. And if making her partner was what it took to keep Shego around, there was only one answer.

"Shego—"

"—Nah, it can't be a particle translator!" Drakken heard one of the Possible clones say. "It would have to be at least twice as big!"

"Well, it's not a seismic conductor!" the other Possible clone said. "At least, if it is, it doesn't work very well."

Drakken scrambled to the door of the lab and stuck his head out into the hallway. The Possible clones were a few feet away, carrying his SEC laser. The one in red held it, while the one in blue pushed buttons to no avail. Drakken gasped, but before he could march into the hall, Shego grabbed his shirt collar and tugged him back inside.

"We were negotiating, here, Doc," Shego said.

"But, Shego!" Drakken said. "Those Possible brats have my laser!"

"What?"

Shego released him and walked to the door. She looked out and Drakken heard her groan.

"Didn't you lock the lab up last night?" she asked, coming back into the room and shutting the door.

"Of course I—" Drakken stopped. His shoulders slumped. "No. I didn't. I left to go look for you. Go ahead. Get the mocking out of the way."

"Sometimes, you're incredibly dumb, Doc," Shego said. "And then you do something really… sweet."

Drakken started to smile.

"Don't make the dumb part a habit," Shego told him, killing his smile immediately. "We've gotta come up with a plan to get that laser back."

"Any ideas?" asked Drakken.

Shego shrugged. "I can break into their dorm room and steal the thing."

Drakken imagined Shego sneaking around in the boys' dormitory on campus. He didn't know for certain, but chances were that the Possible clones were sharing a room in the Louis Pasteur building. The halls all looked the same and each door opened to a room shared by two or three science majors. Drakken imagined what he would have done at eighteen or nineteen if he'd woken up to see Shego rummaging through his things in the middle of the night. He didn't know if he'd be scared or flattered or intrigued. And then of course there was always the chance the Possible clones lived off campus. How would they find them? If only there was some way to pinpoint them—just them.

And then Drakken got an idea. A wonderful, horrible, perfect idea.

"No," he said. "Who needs the SEC laser? I still have my blueprints. A few modifications and it won't matter that the Possible clones have the original. Besides, every first draft could use a little revision…"

Drakken walked over to one of the cabinets to pull out more blueprint paper and pencils. He laid it all out on a lab table. And then he set to drawing. No sooner than he'd written his first equation, though, Shego's hand landed in the middle of the page.

"If we're going to be partners," she told him. "You can't keep your plans a secret like this."

"I do _not_ keep my plans secret!" Drakken said. "I always tell you what I've been working on."

"Yeah," said Shego. "Usually you tell me after you've finished something. Or when Kimmie's just about to bust you. Tell me _now_, so I'm a couple steps ahead of the cheer squad when you actually try to use SEC 2.0."

Drakken thought about this. This was a prime ranting opportunity. A grin overtook his features and he took a deep breath. Shego covered his mouth.

"The abridged version, Doc," Shego said.

"Right," said Drakken from under Shego's fingers. He pried her hand off of his mouth and held it awkwardly for a moment before letting go and trying to remember his plan. She'd distracted him just a bit. "What I want to do is target those thieves specifically. And their big sister if she happens to show up. If I modify the microchip inside SEC to seek out specific genetic sequences, I can program it to aim for only my intended targets. Think of it as a weapon of selective destruction."

"And you didn't think of this before because…"

Drakken shrugged. "With Kim Possible, it was just business. But these two clones have made it personal. Who knows what they're going to do with _my_ technology? I just need a sample of one of their DNA…"

Shego seemed to consider this for a moment. Then, she put her hands on her hips. "One thing, though. They aren't "clones"."

"What?"

"Those boys are twins," Shego said. "And they might be fraternal twins. Y'know… with different DNA. And if Kimmie shows up, she'll have different DNA than both of them, even if the twins are identical."

Drakken grumbled and looked at his calculations again. After a few long minutes of silence, he shouted "Aha!" and went back to work.

"You gotta fill me in," Shego said, coming to sit on the table beside Drakken's blueprints.

"Mitochondiral DNA," he said, not looking up. "The three of them have the same mother, right?"

"Yeah… So?"

"They'll have the same mitochondria, then. So all I'll need is a sample of one Possible's DNA and for someone to jimmy open the lock to the biology lab." Drakken looked up and grinned. "Do you know anyone who might be good at stealing and sneaking?"

"Maybe…"

"Shego, please—"

"It depends," she said evenly. "You never _actually _agreed to make me your partner."

"I thought it was obvious," Drakken said. "When we go back to villainy, you'll be my partner. I'll get it in writing for you."

"Oh, you'd better," Shego said. Then, pausing, she added, "But I want to be recognized and treated as your partner starting right now. Even if the university doesn't recognize it, I want you to."

Drakken nodded. "Of course."

He stuck out a hand to make the agreement official. When Shego took his hand, Drakken's throat stuck together. He swallowed hard. And then he couldn't help but worry that Shego could feel his sweaty palms underneath his gloves, which was a totally ridiculous, totally irrational thought. Drakken still couldn't keep himself from grinning like a dope.

"So the plan is to bust into the dorm room, steal some mito-whatever DNA and break into the campus bio-lab?" Shego grinned. "I think I know just the woman for the job… Partner."

* * *

The following morning, Go City University sent out an email to all faculty and students, apologizing for the campus wide black-out of security systems between the hours of 2 and 4 AM. As far as the security desk could tell, no breaches had been made. Every piece of high-tech equipment from classroom smart-boards to state-of-the-art science gizmos was accounted for and unharmed. It merely had been a fluke in the new wireless system.

Only two people on the campus knew the truth. Had the cameras been working at full-capacity at 2:05 AM, they would have caught a single figure, clad in green and black rifling through the residence hall files, and slipping into the Louis Pasteur dormitory, to emerge with only a Ziploc baggie and some hair samples five minutes later. At 2:22, the same figure used a set of lock picks to open up the biology lab. She was followed swiftly by a man with a wild-eyed grin and a frequency jammer. The woman snatched a rat from a terrarium and shoved it in the breast-pocket of the man's lab coat. They argued for a moment and the woman rolled her eyes before zapping the rat's head. It went limp and the man shuddered. Then, the pair hunched over a genomic sequencer and exited the lab by 3:57. The night guard would later swear he'd heard a man's maniacal laugh and a swift, soft "Shh". But by that point, it wouldn't matter. Dr. Drakken and Shego were back in business.

* * *

Daylight found Doctor Drakken asleep underneath his lab table. The night had been spent reprogramming and testing SEC 2.0's ability to recognize genetic codes. Drakken looked to his right. Underneath the cabinet, he could see the rat they'd tested the improved laser on, cowering to avoid another round with Drakken's latest invention. Shego had insisted they get something to test SEC 2.0 on. Something about 'if you really want a foolproof plan, you'll actually give your technology a little test spin'. They'd taken turns zapping the little guy earlier that morning. And at some point, the sun had risen and Drakken had fallen asleep. He wondered where Shego went. He looked to his left.

And there he found his answer.

Nestled at his side, Shego slept. Drakken could feel her light breathing against him; goosebumps dotted skin. He rolled onto his side. A strand of dark hair crossed Shego's face. Her lips parted just a little. Her dark make-up was faded and in the noon light, her skin was a slightly darker—perhaps flushed—green. Once upon a time, Drakken and Shego had lived and worked together. But never in the long years since they'd met had Drakken woken up beside her. They'd always been sure to get separate rooms while travelling. Sure, there had been times when one of them helmed the controls of the hovercraft and the other snoozed, but when your eyes were on the road (or the air), you couldn't very well look at your passengers. Shego still wore her green and black jumpsuit and it served as a reminder that when she woke up, she could still kick his butt. Drakken smiled.

And then with sudden, dull horror, he realized he couldn't move his left arm.

He looked at it. Somehow, while Drakken slept, his left arm coiled around Shego's waist and held her to him. Panic set in. He had to move his arm before Shego woke up and saw. He had to avoid waking her. He had to—

_Pop!_

Drakken's yellow flower petals sprouted around his face. He groaned and without even attempting to be gentle, ripped away from Shego's side. She woke up with a start. Drakken sat bolt-upright and hit his head on the underside of his table.

"Doctor Drakken? What the-?"

"We weren't cuddling!"

Drakken rubbed his head and stared at Shego. She sat up, shoulders hunched so she didn't hit the table with her head. She didn't look as peaceful as she had while asleep, nor did she seem ready to karate-chop him in half. Instead, she blinked hard a few times.

"I didn't say we were," Shego said.

"Right. Reflex," said Drakken.

"Uh-huh." Shego looked at him. She cocked her head. "You were holding me, weren't you?"

"No," Drakken said quickly. He remembered the flower petals and realized that they probably weren't making him look credible. He started to rip them off. "That's ridiculous."

Shego reached over and plucked a flower petal off of Drakken's face. He couldn't help but to flush furiously.

"I mean," he said. "We don't cuddle. We're supervillains."

"We _were_ supervillains," Shego said. "We _are going to be_ supervillains. Right now, we _aren't_. Right now, we're in danger of becoming a living, breathing cliché. So. Tell me. Were you holding me?"

"Cliché?" Drakken repeated. "What do you mean cliché?"

"Oh, you know," Shego said lightly. A kind of smirk twisted its way onto her lips. She twisted the flower petal in her hands. "Professor and assistant fooling around in the lab."

"_That's _crazy!" Drakken said. "And—frankly—insulting."

The flower petal in Shego's hands ripped.

"I mean," Drakken said. "What kind of man do you take me for, Shego? I would _never_ do that to you. I'm a supervillain, not some immoral-!"

"Easy, chief. I didn't mean that we'd _slept_ together," Shego said, cutting him off swiftly before he could rant. "I meant that we… y'know… slept together. I meant sleeping just to sleep. With maybe some cuddling thrown in. Yeesh. I didn't mean anything like—"

"Neither did I!" Drakken said almost too quickly. At this point, his cheeks and ears were practically purple from blushing. "But, it's not like we would do the _other_ thing either. The _cuddling _thing."

"Oh really?" Shego lifted an eyebrow.

"Really," Drakken said. The protest even sounded lame to him. "This is a purely professional relationship. We're partners, Shego. Not… you know. We're partners."

He didn't want her to think he'd taken advantage of her. He hadn't. They'd just accidentally cuddled. Things weren't allowed to change between them again. Everything had just finally started to feel normal.

Except cuddling had actually felt better than normal. Holding Shego felt so natural that Drakken hadn't noticed anything amiss until he realized that Shego might not want him cuddling her. Neither of them were particularly touchy-feely people anyways. And yet, Drakken's throat constricted as he spoke. He looked at the stray lock of hair that still lingered on Shego's cheek. He beat down the urge to brush it away.

Shego's hands ignited. Drakken flinched. His eyes squeezed shut, waiting for impact, but no pain came. He opened one eye and he saw that the petal Shego had been holding was now a pile of ash in her hands.

"Let's just forget about the cuddling," Shego said. Her voice sounded tight. Drakken frowned. Now that Shego said to forget about it, he couldn't help but think about cuddling her. He could remember the circumstances of last night very clearly now that he was awake. He'd crawled under the table to look for the rat after it scampered off. They'd just successfully zapped it between the ears and created a bald spot. SEC 2.0 was a go. And before Drakken could even bother to look for the rat to give the laser one last test, he leaned back and smiled.

"I'm telling you, Shego," he said when she came under the table to look for him. "This plan is—"

"Don't say it," Shego said, sitting beside him. "Every time you say it, something goes wrong."

Drakken nodded and hung his head. He felt light pressure on his shoulder. He expected Shego to be gripping him. Instead, her head leaned on the jointure between his neck and shoulder.

"But I gotta hand it to you, Doc," she said. "I'm impressed."

"Really?" Drakken asked.

"Jeez," said Shego. "You act like you've never heard me compliment you."

Drakken shrugged. "Usually at this stage in the game, you're all mock."

"So I'm mixing things up a bit," Shego said. She shut her eyes and snuggled closer to Drakken.

"Should we test the laser again?" he asked.

Shego opened a bleary eye and rolled it. "I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."

"On my arm?" Drakken asked.

"Do you keep pillows in the lab?" Shego opened both eyes and looked at him. Drakken shook his head. "Then, yes. On your arm."

"I'm not a human pillow!" said Drakken.

"Whatever," mumbled Shego. "Go to sleep, Doc. We'll test your laser in the morning."

Drakken hunkered down beside her and rolled onto his side, so that Shego's head leaned against his chest. He put his head in the crook of her neck.

"If you're using me as a pillow, I'm using you as a pillow," Drakken told her. "It's only fair."

Shego tugged Drakken's arm and draped it over her. "Fine. I'm using you as a blanket."

"No fair! I can't—"

But Drakken's protests went unheard. Shego fell asleep faster than any other person Drakken had ever met. And soon enough, her steady breathing lulled him to sleep, too. They must have stayed like that all night. Just thinking about it made Drakken feel sticky on the inside. It was like someone had melted his innards and turned them into silly putty.

"Let's give that laser one last test," Shego told him. "And then I'm gonna go home for a shower."

"No need, Shego," Drakken said, crawling out from under the lab table. "We know SEC 2.0 works. We merely need to add the code that will seek out Possible mitochondrial DNA sequences—"

"That's all you," Shego told him. She came out from under the table. "Just let me know when it's time to vaporize the Possibles."

"I'll pick you up," Drakken told her. "We'll want the hovercraft's engine going, just in case this all goes… well… like it usually does."

Shego looked at him. "You really think things are gonna be 'business as usual'?"

Drakken hesitated. "I don't know. Maybe not. You said last night that you were impressed…?"

"That was last night," Shego said. "I thought we agreed to forget about it."

"You said forget about the cuddling," Drakken said. "Not to forget about what led up to the cuddling."

"So you _were_ holding me."

"Nrrgh!" Drakken threw his arms up in the air. "So what, Shego? It was an accident! And if I remember correctly, _you_ initiated the touching! Do you want me to apologize for something _you_ started?"

"You didn't have to keep holding me."

"You weren't complaining!"

"Who said I was complaining now?" Shego asked. She pressed a hand to her forehead. "Ugh. I said 'forget it'. So, really, we shouldn't even be _having _this conversation. I'm going home to shower. Don't you have afternoon classes or papers to grade or—Gee, I don't know—a laser to finish programming?"

"Oh, that's just great. You get to go home and shower and I have to stay here by myself and do the rest of the work!"

"Pretty much, yeah," Shego said, walking towards the door. "I gotta clear my head."

"I'll pick you up at eight," Drakken told her. "We can start brainstorming a trap for the Possible clones… erm… _twins_ tonight."

"As long as it isn't another all-nighter, I'm in," Shego said.

"Great, it's a—" Drakken stopped. Not a "date." This was nothing but professional. After all, Shego didn't want to remember the cuddling, which probably meant he was very lucky she agreed to come back at all. He met her gaze. Something flickered in her eyes, but that died the second Drakken spoke again. "—Deal. Have your bags packed, just in case."

Shego lingered in the doorway for just a moment longer. For a minute, she and Drakken looked at each other quietly. Then Drakken busied himself with the laser until he couldn't feel her eyes on him anymore. Only when he was sure she was gone, did Drakken let himself smile.

* * *

A/N: Before the question is asked (in case it is asked), nothing happened beyond cuddling. Their memories are fully intact and unimpaired. This story is rate K+ and I'm doing my absolute best to stick to that. I'm aware that this means that this chapter is fluff-filled (particularly in comparison to previous chapters). But… Gotta keep moving forward somehow! There should be about three more chapters left to go in this baby. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with and who continue to stick with this story! There will be a few edits made to previous chapters for posterity's sake. Nothing too drastic; I will keep y'all posted if something changes.

Now, to answer real questions and to do my usual shout-outs.

GhibliGirl91: How was this for a hint? ;) There's more DS goodness (evilness?) to come!

Slyrr: They're just the regular, run-of-the-mill tweebs. Drakken calls them "clones" in "The Twin Factor". He has very little contact with them in the series otherwise, so I just kind of... ran with it. I hope it didn't cause too much confusion!

Blackfire18: Welcome aboard! Your in-depth reviews (and late-night discussions) are absolute delights. Shego is deliberately hard to get a read on. This chapter is probably most telling thus far, but you will get a proper answer. I promise! There will be no more flash-backing to Switzerland. If you could tell me what spelling error you found, that would be much appreciated. I'll fine-tooth comb this puppy once I'm done writing. Storytelling is my chief priority at the moment. :)

heyy, Eienvine, and CB73: Thanks, guys! It's good to see y'all returning for more! I hope you- and everyone else- find(s) this chapter satisfactory!

A big thank-you goes to my roommate, for her support in writing this chapter. Her willingness to brainstorm with me, double check my sentence construction and to watch a couple hours of KP a week with me is the whole reason this story is getting completed on time. Love to everyone reading and reviewing!


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